Another Journey Begins
by Dabish95
Summary: Zanza is defeated and everyone is now free to live as they choose. Shulk and his friends return home but they still have one last thing to decide, something they've all had on the back of their minds during their journey, "What happens now?" How will everyone go about their lives now that it's all over? (Mature content is kept minimal but still rated M due to it's nature.)
1. Decision

Shulk and his friends went back to Colony 9 to celebrate their victory and spend some time together before they left to go their separate ways. Dunban stayed in the commercial district to help with reconstruction, Fiora and Riki went shopping and to get groceries to make a big feast for tonight, and the rest went to the beach. But something seemed off…

"Oi, ain't we missing someone?" Reyn asked.

Sharla looked around, "You mean Melia?"

"Yeah, princess ain't here. I know she's quiet and keeps to herself, but you think even _she'd_ want to be here with the rest of us and celebrate a little."

"Maybe she wanted to be by herself for a bit. I'm sure she's all right." Sharla assured.

Shulk sat next to them at the end of the pier. While everyone else seemed relaxed that it was all over now, Shulk kept quiet and his thoughts to himself most of the time they've been back.

"You're right, Reyn." Shulk said and sat up, "I'll go look for her."

Sharla looked up at Shulk and gave a small smile, "Go get her, Romeo."

Shulk simply ignored her comment. She always teased him about his love life, so it didn't seem out of the ordinary anymore. Besides, he had other things on his mind that took priority.

Shulk headed back to the inside of the colony and looked around for Melia.

Melia was at Outlook Park overlooking the colony, seeming to be spaced out in her own thoughts. She was reflecting on all that had happened throughout their journey, and eventually, her thoughts would turn towards Shulk. She tried to suppress it, but the harder she tried, the more she would be thinking about him.

Melia groaned suddenly, frustrated with herself and overthinking what could have been…

"Melia are you up here?" A voice called out.

Melia blinked and snapped out of her internal rant. She turned her head and seen Shulk walking up the hillside.

What were the chances of this, the same person she was having an internal turmoil over to suddenly appear out of the blue?

"Oh. Hello, Shulk. What brings you up here?" Melia asked, still seeming a little distant.

" _You_ , actually. We noticed you were missing and I've been all over the place looking for you." Shulk answered as he walked over to her.

Melia smiled, but it was hard to tell if it was from his concern or a forced one, "I apologize if I had you worried."

Shulk looked over at her and noticed her distant expression. He leaned on the rail by the edge, "Did you come up here for the view or was there something on your mind?"

Outlook Park did have a nice overhead view of the colony. Seeing all the mixes of people in one area, along with the advancements being made to it from High Entia and Machina technology, made it almost unrecognizable.

"It is a beautiful view, but that's not the main reason I am here. I was thinking about everything that had happened and what the future might have planned." Melia said.

"I've actually been thinking about that a lot too. I know that's what we all wished for, to have a future where anything can happen from how you choose, but it's still interesting to think about." Shulk admitted.

"Really? Do you have any plans for what to do now, then?" Melia asked curiously.

"I do, but let's hear yours first." Shulk insisted.

Melia thought about it for a moment, "Well, I was planning to gather as many High Entia as possible and rebuild Alcamoth."

"Well, that certainly puts mine to shame." Shulk laughed.

"Don't be so negative, Shulk. What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember what Alvis told us the last time we seen him? That this world is home to many forms of life besides us? It might not be for a while, but one day, I wanted to venture out and see that for myself."

"See? That's an inspiring goal! You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Melia reassured him and gave a warm smile.

Shulk smiled back but suddenly felt a little nervous, "I guess you're right. But I've still got some time until then. If you don't mind, maybe I could come with you and help you rebuild?"

Melia blushed at the thought of being with Shulk longer and started to stammer, "N-no, I do not mind. I mean… if you want to, I wouldn't say no, but."

She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, "I just figured you would have wanted to stay here with Fiora and the others for a while longer."

Shulk didn't seem to catch on to the way Melia worded that, she specifically mentioned Fiora for a reason. Granted, he did seem oblivious at times.

"I don't think that's even an option. We've all changed and matured quite a bit through this whole journey. I'm sure they have their own plans and might even leave the colony some day too." Shulk said.

A little color suddenly reached his cheeks, "Besides, if I stayed here I'd probably be doing R&D back in the lab all day. I don't mind doing that but traveling around with you sounds more fun."

Melia could feel her heart beating inside her chest, "If your mind is made up, then I'd be glad to have you come with me, Shulk."

They smiled at each other and looked towards the colony, taking in the view.

"When do you plan on telling the others?" Melia asked.

"We can tell them about that later tonight. But for now…" Shulk took Melia's hand and started running back to the colony, pulling her along with him.

"We can worry about all that later. We should all be relaxing and enjoying ourselves. That includes you too, Melia!"

Shulk brought Melia back to the colony and they hung out with their friends for the rest of the day. Dunban offered to let everyone stay at his house for the night. They were almost finished eating dinner when Shulk and Melia explained what they were going to be doing.

"You what?!" They all gawked, some even dropped their silverware.

"We just got back, man! No need to jump straight back out there!" Reyn pressed.

Fiora went silent. She played with her fork for a minute then looked up to face Melia.

"Say, Melia, do you have to leave so soon? We were all going to Colony 6 later on to help with reconstruction. Maybe you could stay for a bit and help us out, if you'd like?"

Melia put her hand to her chin and thought about it.

Shulk rested his hand on Melia's lap, "We don't have to go right away. Alcamoth isn't going anywhere."

"You're right. I suppose we could stay for a while longer." Melia gave in.

Fiora smiled, "Thanks, Melia! We would've hated to see you leave so soon after we got back! Enjoy the time you have and hang out with us a little more!"

Melia smiled back and nodded.

They finished eating and made their beds. Fiora and Dunban were staying in their own rooms while Shulk was using the guest room upstairs. Even though he tried to offer it to anyone else, they let him have it while they laid pillows and blankets down in the living room.

They all soon drifted to sleep and would be leaving for Colony 6 in the morning.


	2. Prototype

Shulk stirred and woke up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the clock, it was six in the morning. He didn't feel like he could go back to sleep so he sat up and got ready. The others weren't going to be awake for a few more hours, so he decided to go to the lab before they all left for Colony 6.

Shulk walked downstairs and seen everyone still asleep. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he walked to the front door.

"Shulk? What are you doing up so early?" Melia sat up, she stretched and let out a yawn.

"Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" He quietly asked.

"No, I've been up for about a half hour and couldn't go back to sleep. Were you going somewhere?" Melia replied, still sounding a little tired.

"Yeah, I was going to the lab to work on something before we left. Since you're up, did you want to come with me?" Shulk offered.

"Okay." Melia said as she let out another yawn.

Shulk waited by the front door for Melia and they walked outside. The colony seemed so peaceful, there was only a small handful of people out at this hour and the sun was just starting to shine over the colony.

They eventually arrived at the lab. Shulk had a small coffee maker there for when he had to pull late nights. He made a cup for Melia and himself since they weren't feeling fully awake yet and he started to work.

"What are you making, Shulk?" Melia asked and came over to look.

"I wanted to make a new weapon for Reyn. I feel that now since I've had more combat experience, I have a better idea of what to make and things I might have overlooked. He could use a new driver too, his current one has been needing tons of maintenance." He answered.

"That's very thoughtful of you. Engineering isn't exactly my expertise, but it looks great from what I can tell. I'm sure Reyn will like it." Melia said.

"Give yourself some credit, Melia. You might not be an engineer, but there's plenty of other amazing things about you." Shulk assured her.

Melia smiled and continued to watch Shulk work.

"Besides, Reyn's not exactly the best guy for constructive criticism. I remember he once told me, 'As long as I can hit things with it and keep them from hitting me, then it's good enough'." Shulk joked.

"Sounds like the Reyn we all know and love." Melia laughed.

Shulk reached for one of his tools but wasn't looking and accidently grabbed Melia's hand. They both jumped and moved their hands away.

"Oh, sorry." Shulk said and blushed a little.

"You don't have to apologize." Melia said, also blushing.

"I was reaching for that, over there. Could you hand me it?" Shulk asked and pointed.

Melia handed it over and Shulk went back to work but stopped after a few minutes.

"What is it, Shulk?" Melia asked.

Shulk sighed, "It's missing something. I need Gogol Horns, we'll have to see if we can get them while we're out. Speaking of which, the others should be awake by now. Let's head back."

Shulk locked up the lab then they walked back to Dunban's house.

"Thank you, Melia." Shulk said as they were walking back.

"For what, Shulk?" She asked.

"Just for coming with me. It gets boring in there sometimes and the others aren't really that interested since they don't know what's going on. It felt nice to have someone there with me for a change." He replied.

"You're welcome. I might not understand everything you work on either, but I still enjoyed it." Melia said.

"If you want, maybe you could come with me next time?" Shulk offered.

"I'd like that. If you ever want someone to keep you company, you can ask me." Melia said.

"I'll keep that in mind." Shulk smiled.

Back at Dunban's house, everyone was up and moving around now.

"Oh, hey you two! Where have you been?" Fiora asked, she was in the kitchen making breakfast and came to see who walked in.

"We were in the lab. Sorry, I would've let you guys know but none of you were awake." Shulk explained.

Everyone gathered around the dining table to eat. After breakfast, they finished getting ready and ventured off for Colony 6.


	3. Catch and Release

"Juju, Otharon!" Sharla called out and waved. The group arrived at Colony 6 not too long ago.

"Sharla! Good to see you and the others!" Otharon greeted them while Juju ran over and hugged Sharla.

Sharla hugged him back, "Well, I missed you too! How's everything been around the colony?"

"Everything's been going great! We have a pretty steady amount of people coming to check out the colony or even to move here!" Juju answered.

"We didn't get to see the aftermath of the Telethia attack since we had to leave so suddenly, but it looks like there wasn't much damage." Dunban noticed as he was looking around.

"The defenses we had set up kept them from getting into the colony while we kept the rest at bay by the entrance." Juju said.

"I heard from Otharon that you did pretty well fighting them off. I guess being a crack shot is something that runs in the family." Sharla smiled.

"Yeah sure, but when are you going to pick up a _real_ weapon? Give me a few weeks with him Sharla, and he'll be like a younger version of me." Reyn said and cracked his knuckles.

"Please, no! One Reyn more than enough!" Riki pleaded.

They all laughed and headed inside the reconstruction headquarters.

"Like I said, everything is going well, but I think we have room for more housing. Since we have more High Entia and Machina moving here, we could probably make something more suited for them." Juju said.

"Thank you, Juju, for taking my people in and for the hospitality you're showing them." Melia spoke up.

"It's no problem at all. It's wonderful seeing all these people from different backgrounds coming together." Juju assured.

"But we're missing some materials. We were able to get most of what we needed, but we still need Gogol Horns. Gogols can be tough to handle, so maybe you guys could help us and we wouldn't have to worry about some of the residents getting hurt." He added.

Shulk and Melia raised an eyebrow and looked at each other.

"Sure, we could do that for you." Shulk answered.

"You can? Awesome, thanks!" Juju said.

They stayed and talked at the headquarters for a while longer, then went for a walk around the colony before they left.

"Quite the coincidence, wasn't it?" Melia asked. Her and Shulk walked slightly behind the others so they wouldn't hear them since Shulk wanted the new weapon to be a surprise.

"Yeah, it was. We can get the Gogol Horns we needed while we're at it."

They were walking close to the Armu Farm and a Nopon there overheard them.

"Did friends say they were going to bash Gogols?" Nopo'rikh asked.

"Yeah, what's it matter?" Reyn asked and walked over.

"Nopo'rikh have job for friends, one that help make that scaredy Hom Hom Nic to be fearless warrior!"

"Nic moved here too?" Shulk and Reyn asked.

"Yes! Friends know Nic?"

"He's from Colony 9, like us." Shulk answered.

"Then friends know how Nic is. Nopo'rikh want to train Nic, so Nopo'rikh want friends to find big Gogol called Indomitable Daulton and give good bashing!"

"How will us doing that help Nic?" Shulk asked.

"Friends tell Nopo'rikh how fight go and if Nic should fight one big monster or many small ones. Want to start Nic off easy, not get him killed."

"We're pretty busy already, but I guess we can look into it since it's on the way." Reyn said and they all headed out.

"Looks like we got a long day ahead of us." Sharla said.

"Yeah, I'm already tired from just hearing it." Reyn groaned.

Shulk and Melia lagged back behind the group so they could talk in private.

" _Another_ coincidence." Shulk said.

"Seems like it. I guess we spoke too soon." Melia added.

They arrived at the Soter Ruins in Satorl Marsh a couple of hours later. They collected all of the Gogol Horns they needed for the reconstruction and Shulk managed to get a few for himself.

"Aye, heads up! That must be the Gogol that Nopon was blabbing on about earlier!" Reyn said and pointed to a tall standing Gogol with two others beside him.

"It looks like it, but he has some friends with him. Shulk, how do you want to go about this?" Dunban asked.

"We'll take them down one at a time, focusing on the smaller ones first. Sharla, tranquilize one of them and we'll go for the other. I'll cover us with Monado Armor while we focus them down."

Shulk's plan was working well, the two smaller ones fell and Daulton was the last one left. Suddenly, the Gogol let out a deafening roar.

Another Gogol nearby roared back and joined in the fight. He charged straight for Melia and knocked her off her feet.

"Melia!" Shulk ran over to get the Gogol's attention and used Monado Speed.

"Come on, you wanted a fight? Well you got one!"

Reyn heard all the yelling and turned his head in Shulk's direction.

"What am I gonna do with you, Shulk? Dunban, keep this one busy!"

"Will do!"

Reyn took off the second he had the attention off him. Just as Shulk was about to take a hit, Reyn jumped in front and raised his shield.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Shulk? We can't help you if you don't tell us what's going on."

While he was occupied with scolding Shulk, the Gogol hit Reyn from the side and knocked him to the floor. The Gogol stood above him and got in his face, letting out another roar.

"Oh, shit!" Reyn put his shield back up and braced himself, expecting the Gogol to slam his fists down. But strangely nothing happened, there was a loud bang then everything went quiet. He lowered his weapon to peek from behind it and the Gogol's lifeless body was laying near him. Blood was pouring from it's temple and onto the grass.

"Still kicking…" He looked up to the sky and took a few deep breaths.

"Thanks to a certain someone." Sharla held out her hand and pulled Reyn up.

"Alright, I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong. You really are a crack shot, Sharla. I'm sure Juju will be too." He said.

Sharla smiled and gave a look at Reyn like she was saying, "I told you so."

"I hate to break up your moment, but I could use some help over here!" Dunban yelled to them.

"Oh, right. Let's move!"

Shulk stayed behind and carried Melia away from the fight, resting her back against a wall. Daulton was fairly weak before the other Gogol interrupted so the fight didn't last much longer.

"Are you okay, Melia? Do you need Sharla to look at you?"

"I'm fine. I had two earth elementals active to protect me." Melia said, although she did wince a little in pain.

"I heard my name, is something wrong?" Sharla asked.

"It's nothing to worry about, I'm oka- ow!" Melia tried to stand up and winced again in pain.

"Doesn't seem like it. Let me see." Sharla insisted.

Shulk held onto Melia's hand while Sharla looked her over.

"Well, you're no more banged up than the rest of us, but you feel a little warm and your face is red. Do you feel feverish or anything?"

"N-no, I don't feel sick. It's just…" Melia stammered.

Sharla didn't see what happened and started to worry since she was stammering. She took another quick look at her and noticed that Shulk was holding her hand.

 _Oh, so that's what it's about._

"You'll be fine." Sharla smirked and helped Melia to her feet.

"Riki finished finding goodies!"

"Alright. If there's no one else that needs medical treatment, we can start heading back." Dunban said.

They all grabbed their stuff and started walking back. Shulk kept an eye on Melia to make sure she was okay.

"Hey, sorry if I overreacted a little back there."

"You did nothing wrong, Shulk. That's just the kind of person you are, always making sure everyone is okay. I still appreciate the gesture." Melia assured him.

They were nearly out of Satorl Marsh when the sun started to set.

"So tired." Reyn said and let out a long yawn.

Dunban turned around and seen the rest of the group looked half-asleep too.

"Maybe we should set up camp." Dunban suggested.

"Yeah, there's a rest area nearby that the Nopon use during their trade routes. That might be a good place to sleep." Shulk added.

The Nopon Merchant Camp was a short distance from where they were. As they approached they spotted two Nopon, one near a tent and the other standing on some rocks above the nearby lake, as if he was about to jump in.

"Rare to see Hom Homs around here!" The Nopon that was near the tent turned to them.

"We were looking to seek refuge. Would it be all right if we lodged here with you?" Melia asked.

"This one talk different from most Hom Hom." The Nopon looked closer and noticed her wings, "Oh, this one Bird Lady! Apologies, friends can stay here."

While they were setting up camp, Shulk looked back over at the Nopon and noticed they had bags of other goods with them. He walked over and got a closer look at the bags.

"Are you guys merchants?"

"Were friends looking to buy?" The Nopon answered and opened the bags.

Shulk looked through them and found several fishing poles, "I thought Nopon fished differently from others. Why do you guys have fishing poles?"

"Nopon dive in for fish, but we still use or sell. If water not safe for Nopon to jump, we use poles."

 _How many do we need? Dunban, Reyn, and I know how to fish, but what about the others?_

"Okay, I'll take three of them." Shulk said and reached into his pocket.

"Maybe sell cheaper for Heropon?" Riki seen Shulk looking through their wares and came over.

"Heropon Riki is with friends? Sorry Riki, no give discount, but throw in extra lines and bait."

Riki helped Shulk carry everything and they walked back to their camp. He handed Dunban and Reyn a fishing pole and they found a spot on the other end of the lake to fish away from the Nopon.

Fiora fetched some wood and tinder to make a fire while Sharla was cleaning her rifle. They walked over to the lake to meet with the boys when they were done while Melia stayed inside the tent. She summoned a water elemental to heal what was left of her wounds then went to join the others.

Shulk seen her walking over, "Hey, Melia! How are you feeling?"

"A little better now. How's the fishing going?" She asked and sat down next to Shulk.

"Caught a few, but not enough to feed everyone yet."

"Riki have you now!" Riki dived in for his catch and made a big splash.

"Keep that on your end, fuzz ball! Scare the fish away and we'll cook _you_ instead!" Reyn shouted.

Shulk looked back over at Melia, "Hey, do you know how to fish?"

"No, I was never taught how." She admitted.

"Well she is royalty, after all. Why learn to fish when you can have someone get it for you?" Reyn thought out loud.

"Way to make her sound spoiled and snobby, Reyn." Sharla said and punched his shoulder.

"That doesn't mean she can't learn. If you want, I could teach you." Shulk offered.

"Oh, no that's okay. I don't think I'll be good at it." Melia said a bit sheepishly.

"You won't know that unless you try. Here, let me show you."

Shulk showed her what to do and handed her the fishing rod. She took it but wasn't really expecting to catch anything. After a few minutes, a noise came from the reel and the rod slightly jerked in her hand.

"Looks like you got something!"

Shulk kept an eye on the line and let her know when she was good to start reeling in or pull back. After struggling back and forth, a fish almost twice the size of everyone else's catch emerged from the water.

"Ain't that a beauty!" Reyn applauded.

"Not bad for a beginner." Dunban praised.

Melia smiled, looking proud of herself on her catch. She looked over at Shulk and he was chuckling to himself.

"What is it, Shulk?"

"Oh, nothing. You just reminded me of my first-time fishing."

"How did yours go?"

"Reyn and I were like ten at the time. We were at Dunban's house and he came up to us like this." Shulk puffed out his chest and deepened his voice to match Dunban's, "Look at you two, you'll be grown men soon and what do you know about _acting_ like it? Bah, I may as well teach you how to at least provide for yourselves."

"I did NOT sound like that!" Dunban protested.

"Oh yes you did, old man!" Reyn shot back.

Dunban scoffed and waved his hand dismissively at Reyn.

"Continue your story, Shulk." Dunban said and crossed his arms.

"Huh? Oh, okay. Where was I… oh yeah! So Dunban borrowed Dickson's boat and took us out on the water under Colony 9. We were out there for hours until I finally caught my first fish. It wasn't anything to brag about, but I was still so excited about it that I started jumping around the boat and almost fell in. I would have too if Reyn didn't catch me at the last second."

"Yeah, you're welcome, by the way. How about you fish me up some seconds and we'll call it even?"

The two laughed and Shulk put his arm over Melia and smiled, "You did good, Melia."

"Thank you." She said, blushing a little from his touch.

Riki swam back over a few minutes later with a fish in each hand. He shook off his fur and started bouncing up and down.

"Riki make yummy grill fish with this!"

"Actually, Riki, Fiora was in charge of cooking." Shulk pointed out.

"Oh." Riki stopped bouncing, seeming a little disappointed.

Fiora giggled, "You can help if you want to, Riki."

"Yes, Riki want to help!" He said and started bouncing again.

Fiora and Riki went to get the fire ready and clean the fish while the rest stayed by the lake.

"Smells like food's almost ready. Let's call it a night." Reyn said.

Shulk and Melia were still sitting while the others got up and were walking over to the tent. Sharla looked over at the two and smiled.

"What is it, Sharla?" Shulk asked, not getting what she was smiling about.

"Your arm." She pointed.

Shulk had completely forgotten that he still had his arm over Melia's shoulder. He moved his arm and looked away embarrassed.

Sharla giggled, "You know, now that I think about it, you two would look so cute together."

Now they were both bright red. They looked at each other and thought about what Sharla said, then looked away nervously again.

"We should get going." Shulk said, trying to change the subject.

"Right." Melia agreed and quickly stood up.

Sharla smiled and walked back to camp ahead of them.

Melia took another glance at Shulk and looked away before he noticed her. After everyone ate, they set their sleeping bags and called it a night.


	4. Heropon Returns

Shulk and his friends met back up with Juju at the reconstruction HQ to deliver the materials.

"Yo, kid. Got your stuff." Reyn said and put the Horns down on the table.

"I see that. You got plenty of them here, maybe even more than we originally needed." Juju commented.

"So, what are we going to do with what's left over?" Sharla asked.

"Well, everyone likes the park you guys helped build but they said they needed something more spacious. So, I'm thinking we could refine what's left, maybe get a few more materials, and make a Rec Center." Juju answered.

"Not a bad idea." Dunban praised.

"Yeah, but it'll have to wait for a bit. We're already working on housing and we have that festival just around the corner." Juju replied.

"Festival?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, we forgot to mention that, didn't we?" Sharla suddenly remembered.

"You haven't noticed all the work being done around the colony or seen the flyers? The people here wanted to do something to celebrate the colony being revitalized, so we all agreed on holding a festival. If it turned out well, we could probably make it an annual thing. Here, check it out." Juju said and handed Shulk one of the flyers.

Riki sulked lower into his chair, "But Riki won't be able to come. Riki should be going back home."

"I'll have to see if I can make it as well. Colonel Vangarre said he wanted to see me." Dunban added.

"Dundun leaving too? Dundun try not to cry for Riki when Riki leaves." Riki said.

"I don't think Dunban _can_ cry." Reyn smirked.

"I don't know, it'll be pretty hard to keep it together when I see Riki go." Dunban joked.

"Dundun tell the truth? Riki not want Dundun to be sad. Hm, Riki know! Riki and friends all move to Colony 6! Then Riki ask Juju to build house bigger for Riki's family to move in too!" Riki suggested.

"I don't know, Riki. You're going to have to build something pretty big to house that many people. Can you get a nice enough loan to cover all that work?" Dunban asked.

"Wait, Dundun trying to be funny! This was Riki's joke! Riki not like Dundun's joke!" Riki pouted.

Everyone had a good laugh and Dunban's tone suddenly changed, "Seriously though, Riki. I won't cry, but you will be missed." He admitted.

"Riki knew Dundun would miss Riki!" Riki cried and bounced around happily.

"You guys got time, it ain't starting for another four days. Sharla and I will be there." Reyn assured.

"If not starting for that long, maybe friends want to come with Riki?" Riki offered.

"Vangarre isn't exactly a patient guy. I can't come, sadly." Dunban replied.

"I was going to go with Dunban, too." Fiora added.

"I'll accept your offer. What about you, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Sure, I'll come along." Shulk answered and put the flyer in his bag.

"Well, we were supposed to stay here and help set up the festival, but it looks like they're doing fine without us. What about you, Reyn?" Sharla asked.

"If you're going, I'll come too." He answered.

They all browsed the shops in the colony to restock for their trip then walked to the entrance.

Fiora frowned and moved her head down, "I guess I'll see you later, Shulk."

Shulk came over and hugged her, "Hey, cheer up, Fiora. It's not like I'm going anywhere far away."

Melia felt her heart sink a little as she watched the two of them.

"Take care, everyone. Hopefully we'll see each other at the festival." Dunban said and waved goodbye to them.

Everyone waved back and watched the two go.

"Sidekicks, move out!" Riki ordered and the rest headed towards Makna Forest.

As they were walking, Riki noticed Melia was quiet most of the way and seemed upset. He walked to the back of the group where she was and bounced into her arms.

"Why Melly look so sad?" Riki asked.

"Have I seemed that way? It's nothing, Riki." She said.

Riki followed Melia's gaze and noticed she was looking at Shulk.

"Oh, Riki see. Melly upset about earlier?" Riki asked.

Melia nodded slightly.

"Melly no be sad. Melly knows Shulk cares." Riki tried to cheer her up.

"I know he does. What I don't know is if he cares in _that_ way." Melia said.

"Never know unless Melly tries." Riki pointed out.

"You're right, Riki. It's just… I'm too nervous. I've never experienced emotions like these before so I don't know what to do. What if he doesn't share those feelings?" Melia explained.

"Riki understand, Riki was scared to tell Oka too. Turns out, Riki worry for nothing. Maybe same for Melly and Shulk too." Riki said.

Melia smiled at Riki and gave him a hug, "Maybe you're right, I might just be overthinking things. Thank you, Riki. I can always count on you to cheer me up."

"It Heropon's job to look after sidekicks." Riki smiled and hugged her back.

Melia put Riki down and they later arrived at Makna Forest. The sun was beaming down, and it felt like there was a heat wave.

"How do the Nopon stand this heat?" Sharla complained as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Nopon bodies adapt to environment, can live pretty much anywhere." Riki simply said.

"It's warm all year round where we're from, but even this is a stretch from what we're used to." Reyn added.

Reyn stopped his complaining and looked over at Shulk, noticing something on the side of his neck.

"Um, Shulk… don't freak out, but there's something on your neck that looks like a caterpillar." Reyn said.

Shulk froze in his tracks, "Get it off… get it off." He said. He was speaking quietly, as if he thought it was going to pounce if he made any loud or sudden moves.

"I'll get it, hold still." Melia said.

Melia started to blush a little as she came closer and put her hand up to his neck. She set the bug back on the ground and walked next to Shulk.

"Thanks, Melia." Shulk said.

"You're welcome. Do you have a phobia of bugs, Shulk?" Melia replied.

"Not all bugs, just caterpillars." He answered.

"Why caterpillars out of all other insects?" She asked.

"Well, when Reyn and I were younger we played pranks on each other. I got him pretty good when I hid a spider in his shoe. When he found it, he screamed as loud as he could and kicked his shoe into the air. He's been scared of them ever since, and to get me back, he hid a caterpillar in my sock drawer. Same as him, I freaked out and I've been terrified of them since." Shulk explained.

"And here I thought you were the brave and tough one out of us all." Melia teased.

Everyone else had a hard time telling if Melia was joking because she keeps a straight face whenever she does, but Shulk seemed to know when she was joking.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I still am." Shulk said, playing along.

"Ah yes, you proved that with the caterpillar. You really are a force to be reckoned with." Melia kept teasing him.

"Oh yeah? I'll show you, then!" Shulk grinned.

Shulk wrapped his arms around Melia and lifted her up. Melia reflexively let out an "Eek!" and kicked, trying to break free.

"Put me down, Shulk!" Melia ordered.

"Not until you take back what you said!" He shot back.

Melia tried a few more times to break free and sighed, "Victory is yours, I submit."

"I still haven't heard you say it." He mused.

Melia rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh, "Fine, you're still tough. Happy now?"

"Now I am." Shulk said and put her down.

Melia looked back over at Shulk and they smiled at each other.

"Okay, lovebirds. That's enough." Sharla interrupted.

"Lovebirds?" Shulk and Melia both said. They looked back at each other and started to blush.

"But… we're not…" Shulk tried to defend it but was too flustered.

"R-right, we're merely…" Melia tried to add.

"Yeah, and I'm the Nopon Sage." Sharla sarcastically shot back.

"But Sharla not Sage. Sharla not even Nopon." Riki pointed out.

"It was a joke, Riki." Sharla said, "Just try not to fall behind, you two."

Melia was back to being quiet the rest of the way, overthinking again about her and Shulk. She decided to let it go as they walked into Frontier Village.

"Riki, do you think you could grant me an audience with Chief Dunga?" Melia asked.

"Riki can do that, but why Melly want to talk to chief?" Riki asked.

"I want to ask for his assistance in searching for the scattered High Entia." Melia replied.

"Okay, Riki and friends go find chief!" Riki said.

They climbed up several floors to the chief's residence.

"Ah, the Heropon returns from his long journey!" Chief Dunga said.

"Yes, but Riki is here for other business too. Friends wanted to speak with chief." Riki stated.

Melia took a few steps forward, "Chief Dunga, I wished to ask for your assistance. Shulk and I are planning to gather as many High Entia refugees as possible and retake Alcamoth from the Telethia. The Nopon travel extensively and have an expansive network. With your assistance, we can achieve that goal much faster."

"I see. I would first like to apologize for what happened to the Bird People's city." Chief Dunga started, "We will help in any way that we can."

"I am truly grateful." Melia said and bowed her head.

"You have all done so much, it is the least we could do." Chief Dunga said.

The chief let out a sigh and continued, "But, we cannot help search in Valak Mountain. A group of Nopon went there a long time ago to do research and we have not heard from them since, so I restricted any routes there."

"That is fine, we can search Valak Mountain ourselves if you assist us with the other areas." Melia assured.

"Very well. I will tell our merchants and other Nopon travelers to keep an eye for Bird People and have them come here." Chief Dunga confirmed.

"Thank you, your assistance is greatly appreciated." Melia said.

They all left and headed towards Riki's house.

"So, this is it." Riki sulked, "Will friends still come visit Riki?"

Melia smiled and picked Riki up, "I'll need you and the others when we go to Alcamoth, so this isn't the end."

"Heropon will be there!" Riki said, cheering up a little.

She set Riki down and he looked back up at everyone, "Riki tell friends nice spot to camp as thank you for coming with Riki!"

Riki took their map and marked an area near the center of Makna Forest, "Friends go to Eks Watering Hole, then go South and climb big tree. Friends can thank Riki later!"

They all said their goodbyes and headed for the area Riki told them about.

"This better be worth it. Took us so long to find the bloody place and… whoa." Reyn said, taken aback by the beautiful view as they arrived.

There was a giant pool in front of them, with waterfalls near the back and the water itself was clear enough to see the bottom. There was plenty of land nearby for them to set up camp near the water.

"It's beautiful!" Sharla said, taking in the scenery.

"That fuzz ball was hiding out on us." Reyn chuckled.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Reyn said, eager to get in the water.

"Wait, do we even have anything to swim in?" Sharla asked.

"I don't think any of us were planning on swimming, so we didn't bring anything." Shulk concluded.

Reyn groaned, "But look at this place, man! You think I'm gonna let that stop me? I'll strip down if I have to!"

"Hold it there, Casanova. We can still swim, but we'll have to do it in turns, girls then boys." Sharla said.

"Why do you get it first?" Reyn asked.

"Let them have it, Reyn. We can set up camp while they swim, then we'll have a turn." Shulk cut in to make peace before they started arguing.

Shulk looked over at Melia, "You look like you could use it a lot more than we do right now. You look like you're burning up, Melia."

"I do feel a little warm." She said and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"See, Reyn? Shulk knows how to be a gentleman, ladies first." Sharla grinned.

Reyn scoffed, "Fine, go ahead. We'll set up camp over there."

Shulk and Reyn walked off while Sharla and Melia stayed near the water.

"So how exactly are we swimming if we don't have bathing suits?" Melia asked, not getting what Sharla meant earlier.

"Who said we needed bathing suits?" Sharla answered and started to undress.

"Y-you mean…" Melia gawked.

"Why do you sound so shocked? Didn't you used to go swimming outdoors when you were a kid?" Sharla asked.

"No, never." Melia replied.

"Well, then why not make up for lost time? It's just you and me here." Sharla said.

"That is true." Melia hesitated but followed Sharla's lead and started to undress.

Sharla sneaked a quick glance, "Wow, Melia, I'm actually a little jealous." She teased.

Melia tried to cover herself, "Don't stare! I'm already worried as it is that Shulk or someone might see."

"Relax, Melia. Like I said, it's just you and me here. Besides, Shulk is the last person to worry about. I get that he likes you and all, but that doesn't sound like something he'd do." Sharla assured.

"What do you mean?" Melia asked, turning a bit red.

"You seriously haven't noticed? It's clear as day that he likes you, Melia. He's been paying more attention to you, he's more upbeat when he's around you, and you two have been acting a bit more than friendly lately." Sharla explained.

Melia gave a warm smile through her blushing. She felt relieved to hear that and was almost positive now that she was just overthinking everything from earlier.

"I know I sound like I tease you two a lot, but I'm just trying to push you two a little closer." Sharla said and put a hand on Melia's shoulder, "But enough about that right now, let's swim!"

Shulk and Reyn were nearly finished making camp when Sharla and Melia came back.

"Welcome back. How's the water?" Reyn asked.

"It was great, it felt so refreshing!" Sharla told him.

"Glad to hear. Feeling any better, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"Much better, the cold water helped cool me down." Melia said.

Shulk took another look at Melia and started to smile.

Melia noticed him looking at her, "What is it, Shulk?"

"Nothing. It's just I think this is the first time I've seen you without your hair curled." He answered.

"Oh, it's just from being in the water. I was going to fix it when I got back." She said.

"Well either way, I still think it looks pretty good." He replied.

"If you say so." Melia looked away, she smiled and ran her hand through her hair.

"Almost everything is set up, can you two take care of the rest while we go swim?" Reyn asked.

"Sure, we can do that." Sharla nodded.

"Awesome! Hey Shulk, I'll race ya!" Reyn said and bolted for the pool.

"How is that fair?! You got a head start!" Shulk yelled, but Reyn didn't look like he was stopping.

"We'll be back in a bit." Shulk hastily said and ran to catch up with Reyn.

Sharla grinned and put an arm over Melia's Shoulder. She tried to impersonate Shulk's voice, "I think you look really cute with your hair down, Melia."

"Oh, be quiet." Melia said and nudged her away.

The two girls finished what was left of making camp. Sharla sat and talked with Melia while she was doing her hair as they waited for Shulk and Reyn to come back. It was getting late by the time they finally returned, so they made something quick to eat and got ready for bed.

Melia kept hearing noises keeping her awake and she sat up. Sharla was sleeping peacefully while Reyn was snoring away. She looked over and seen Shulk kicking the blanket off himself and mumbling in his sleep.

"No… wait!" Shulk said and tossed in his sleep.

 _He must be having a bad dream._

"Shulk?" Melia sat closer to him and nudged his shoulder.

Shulk suddenly threw himself towards Melia, his arms limply around her waist and his head on her lap.

"Melia… don't go." He mumbled.

Melia gasped and put a hand to her chest.

 _He's definitely dreaming, but… it's about me?_

"Shh. It's okay, Shulk. I'm not going anywhere." Melia whispered and rubbed his back.

Shulk stopped tossing and was quietly snoring in her lap after a few minutes. Melia carefully laid Shulk's head back onto his pillow, then moved her sleeping bag closer and laid down beside him. She watched Shulk for another minute to make sure he was okay. She smiled softly and some color reached her cheeks as she watched him sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Shulk." Melia mused and played with his hair. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.


	5. Festival

The next morning Melia woke up before the others. She opened her eyes and the first thing she seen was Shulk. He was laying on his back with his arms and legs sprawled out, all the covers kicked off him as well.

Melia quietly giggled and reached her hand out to play with his hair, when suddenly she winced it back from the strong heat coming from Shulk's forehead.

"Shulk?" She quickly sat up and nudged him to try and wake him up.

Shulk forced his heavy eyelids open, "Melia?" He asked weakly.

"Are you feeling all right, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"A little warm, but I think I'll be fine." Shulk lied.

"What's all the racket?" Reyn asked. He sat up and looked a bit agitated that he was woken up early.

"I think Shulk is falling ill." Melia explained.

"It's fine, guys. It's nothing to worry ab-" Shulk suddenly broke into a coughing fit.

"Doesn't sound like it." Reyn said. He went to wake Sharla up and explained to her that Shulk wasn't feeling well.

Sharla sat up and looked him over, "Coughing with pain in your chest, your Lymph Nodes are swollen, and you have a high fever. You look pretty sick to me, Shulk."

"I'll tough it out. We still need to go to Valak Mountain." Shulk protested.

"Shulk, your health is more important right now. We can't have you going in your current condition, you'll only make it worse." Melia insisted.

Shulk looked over at Melia. Even though she kept a firm expression, he could see the pleading look in her eyes.

Shulk let out a sigh, "Okay, we'll hold out until I feel better."

Melia gave a small, relieved smile and rested her hand on his lap, "Thank you, Shulk."

"Reyn and I were heading back to Colony 6, you can come with us and I'll treat you there." Sharla said.

Shulk was still being stubborn and tried to help take down the campsite, but Melia wouldn't let him. After a small fight between the two, with Melia ending up winning, Shulk finally gave up and sat down while the rest packed up. When they finished, Melia helped Shulk to his feet and they began their trek back to Colony 6.

"Don't lag behind, fur ba- … oh, right." Reyn frowned, he looked back ahead so the others wouldn't see it.

"Aww, someone miss their little buddy?" Sharla asked.

"Who, fur ball? That's crazy talk, I just got woken up early so it slipped my mind." Reyn defended.

"You can't lie to me, Reyn." Sharla shot back.

"Okay, fine. Only a little, so what?" Reyn growled.

"That's so cute! Who knew you could be such a softy?" Sharla said.

"Oh, hush it." Reyn said and gave her a light shove.

Melia stayed in the back of the group with Shulk to keep an eye on him.

"Sorry, Melia, for arguing with you back there and now making you wait because of me. I know how badly you wanted to go back to Alcamoth." Shulk apologized.

"Is that why you were so adamant on going?" Melia asked.

Shulk nodded.

"I know you put others before yourself, Shulk, but you shouldn't be so easy to throw yourself in harm's way. You can't help anyone if you can't help yourself, first." Melia said.

She gave him a small smile, "But it's still sweet of you to do that. I'll be okay, let us take care of _you_ this time."

About halfway to the colony, Shulk's breathing became labored and he started to sway.

"Do you need us to stop, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"No, I just feel really hot all of a sudden." Shulk said. He took his jacket off and threw it over his shoulder.

"Here, this might help." Melia raised her staff and summoned an ice and wind elemental. "Stay close to me, the breeze from this should cool you down." She said.

Shulk came closer and suddenly swayed into her. Out of reflex, Melia put her arms around him and pulled him closer to break his fall. It was surprisingly easy, he felt so light in his weak state.

"You poor thing." Melia mused.

"It's okay, I can still walk." He assured her.

Melia helped him stand back up and put her arm over him for support, while the cold wind from the elementals helped cool him down. As they got closer, Shulk could feel Melia shivering and hear her teeth chattering.

"You can release the elementals if you're feeling cold." Shulk offered.

"It's not that cold. If they help you, then I can manage." Melia insisted.

"It's not going to do us any good if you get sick too. Here, at least put this on then." Shulk took his jacket off his shoulder and handed it to Melia.

When they arrived at the colony, Sharla let everyone stay at her house and they sent Shulk straight to bed, letting him stay in the guest room. Sharla quickly ran out to get some medicine and came back. She gave Shulk a dose and they let him sleep for the rest of the day.

The next morning, Melia came into Shulk's room to check on him. She still wore his jacket from yesterday.

"Feeling any better, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Only somewhat. I just wish I had something to do, it gets boring sitting in bed all day." Shulk said.

"Want me to bring you anything?" Melia offered.

"Actually, I had a few books in my bag downstairs. Could you bring me them?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded and went to get his books. She ran into Sharla as she was coming back.

"Oh, Melia! I have to go out for a bit, can you give Shulk his next dose for me?" Sharla asked, she was holding a pill bottle in one hand and cough syrup in the other.

Melia took them and went into Shulk's room.

"I brought your books and I have this for you too." Melia said. She put the books on the nightstand and held up the medicine.

Shulk took the pill but hesitated with the cough syrup.

"What's wrong?" Melia asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just hate the taste of cough syrup." Shulk answered.

"Well you need to take it if you want to feel better." Melia simply said.

"I know." Shulk said, he still hesitated and shuddered from thinking about it.

"Don't be such a baby." Melia said. She poured the syrup into the cup and held it in front of him.

"I'll be fine without it." Shulk said stubbornly.

Melia leaned down to his level and gently cupped her hand under his chin. She lifted his head slightly up and gave him a pleading look, "For me?"

Shulk started to blush and gazed into her eyes.

 _How am I supposed to say no to that?_

"Okay, I'll take it."

Shulk took a deep breath and slammed it, looking totally disgusted as he handed back the cup.

Melia laughed a little at the face he was making, "Hold on, I'll be right back."

She came back with a drink to help wash the taste down. Shulk took a sip and stopped her before she left the room again.

"Hey, Melia." He said.

"Yes?" Melia asked.

"You really like that jacket, don't you?" Shulk asked.

Melia didn't answer. For some reason she started to feel shy and slightly hid her face in his jacket.

Shulk smiled, "It looks cute on you. You can hold on to it for a while if you want."

"Thank you." Melia managed to squeak out. She lifted the hood to hide her face before leaving the room.

For the next two days, Shulk stayed in bed and Melia would come check on him, still wearing his jacket when she did. She went out to run some errands and seen groups of people putting on their finishing touches for the festival.

"Sure looks like fun…" Melia frowned.

After she finished her errands, she went back to Sharla's house to see how Shulk was doing. She looked a bit surprised to see him out of bed. He was in the living room, sitting on the couch and looking over the flyer Juju gave him earlier.

"Hey, Melia!" Shulk said as she walked in.

"You're up? I take it you're feeling better, then?" Melia asked.

"Yeah, feeling much better now thanks to you and Sharla." Shulk said.

"It was no problem at all. I'm glad to see that you're better." Melia smiled.

Shulk smiled back but suddenly looked nervous, even feeling some red reach his cheeks, "You know, that festival is starting pretty soon. Since we're still here… would you want to go with me?"

Melia felt her heart skip a beat and looked flustered, "I'd love to."

Shulk smiled, "Alright. I should go get ready." He said and went back to his room.

Melia stayed in the living room for another minute, still a little stunned that he would just ask her that out of the blue. She shook her head and snapped out of it, realizing that she should start getting ready too. She took a quick shower and changed her clothes, then looked at herself in the mirror.

 _Is what I'm wearing okay, not too formal or too casual? Shulk isn't exactly picky when it comes to appearances, so will it even matter? Either way, it would help if I knew what the occasion was. Apart from traveling together around the Bionis and Mechonis, we only seldom spent time together to hang out, and it was usually in a group with the others. Reyn and Sharla will be there, but Shulk only mentioned the two of us._

"Just Shulk and I…" Melia started to smile as she stared off into space. She ran her hand through her hair and took another look in the mirror.

 _Shulk mentioned before that he liked my hair when it was down, so should I?_

She suddenly groaned and sat at the edge of her bed, "Why am I even so obsessed with how I look? Shulk and I have been around each other for a while now, so it's not like this is anything new. Besides, I don't think I have time for that. He's probably waiting on me as it is."

Shulk was waiting for her downstairs. He was sitting on the couch, twiddling his fingers to keep from biting his nails out of nervous habit. He wore a pair of jeans with a white shirt and a black bomber jacket, since he let Melia have his usual red one.

Melia came downstairs a few minutes later. She was wearing a white top and a red skirt, along with white heels and a gold band around her right wrist.

Shulk started to blush and came over to get a better look at her.

"You look so beautiful." He said.

"Thank you. You look good too." Melia smiled.

"Come on, let's get going." He said and took her hand, making Melia turn as red as her skirt.

It was around late afternoon; the colony being lit up from the festival's lights. There was plenty of entertainment throughout the sections of the colony, food stands, and even a few rides and game counters to win prizes. It seemed as if every resident came, maybe even people from outside the colony too. Men, women, and children across all races were seen around.

Shulk and Melia held hands and walked through the park. Some kids were playing and ran past the two, while other on goers looked and grinned.

"They did an amazing job putting this all together." Melia said as she looked around.

"I know, right? I can hardly recognize this place!" Shulk said.

"You seem pretty ecstatic." Melia commented.

"How could I not be? There're so many people here and they all look like they're having fun! Did you have any events like this back in Alcamoth?" Shulk asked.

"They do seem happy. We had plenty of events back home, but they were a bit different." Melia answered.

"Oh, right, you're probably used to more formal get togethers. Something like this." Shulk let go of Melia's hand and held out his arm, "My lady." He jokingly said.

Melia gave a small laugh and played along, holding onto his arm.

"Is this how you do it?" Shulk asked.

"Yes, you just need to fix your arm." Melia said and adjusted his arm.

"Oh, sorry. It's not exactly what I'm familiar with." Shulk said nervously.

"It's a work in progress." Melia joked. She smiled and nuzzled closer to Shulk as they walked through the park.

As they came by the fountain, several rows of seats and food stands came into sight, with a stage in front and a band currently playing. They got food and found some seats close to the entertainment.

"Is that who I think it is?" A voice called out a few minutes later. Before they could even turn around, Reyn came up behind Shulk and locked an arm around his neck.

"Shulk! You didn't die! Sure took your sweet time getting out of bed, though." Reyn said.

"It would've taken longer if I didn't have Melia and Sharla to help. Speaking of which, I never got to thank her yet." Shulk said.

"I'm right here, you know!" Sharla yelled as she ran over, trying to catch up with Reyn.

Sharla wore a long dusty-purple dress with heels, while Reyn was wearing gray dress pants with a black polo shirt.

"Geez, Reyn, you could have waited a second." Sharla complained.

"You haven't had a problem keeping up with me before, why can't you now?" Reyn asked.

"You ever tried running in heels? It's not exactly easy." Sharla shot back.

"Classic Reyn, I guess." Shulk chuckled.

"I'd pay to see him try that." Melia added.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Sharla." Reyn said and hugged her.

"I'll forgive you this time. You're not exactly the brightest when it comes to these things." Sharla joked.

"Hey, no need to be feisty. I said I was sorry." Reyn said.

Sharla giggled and pecked his cheek, "You may be a dummy, but you're _my_ dummy."

Reyn had the same idea as Shulk and asked Sharla to go with him. It certainly seemed to be going well between the two.

"So what are you guys planning on doing?" Shulk casually asked them.

"Oh, we just got off guard duty not too long ago. So we thought we'd check out the festival and ran into you guys." Reyn explained.

"We were going to check out a few of the rides they had around here too. Sorry if we're interrupting your guys' date, we just wanted to say hi." Sharla apologized.

Melia looked down and started to act all shy.

 _Wait, a date? No, that couldn't be it. Shulk's way too timid to-_

"No, you're okay. Go on, get outta here and have some fun." Shulk told them.

Melia looked up at Shulk, feeling a bit surprised. He usually tried to brush it off whenever Sharla mentioned anything about them being more than friends. But this time he didn't deny it being a date, so was it really…

"Have her back by a decent time, Shulk." Sharla joked.

"Yes ma'am. I'll be on my best behavior." Shulk sarcastically said back.

Sharla gave Melia a quick wink and a sly smile before her and Reyn left them alone. Shulk turned back to Melia and seen the look on her face. He grinned, knowing what she was thinking.

"Something wrong?" Shulk asked.

"N-no, I'm fine." Melia tried to cover it up.

Shulk smiled and moved closer to her. The song ended shortly after and a few people dropped some change into the guitar case at the edge of the stage before they left.

"Hey, I heard that the winner of the Miss Sweetness contest they had a while ago was going to reveal something by the lake. Want to go see what it's about?" Shulk suggested.

Melia nodded and they walked towards the lake. As they were heading there, they heard a kid causing a fuss at one of the game stands.

"Oh, come on! This game is totally rigged!" The High Entia boy yelled.

"Sorry, kid." The stand owner said, not really seeming phased by the kid's complaining.

The boy leaned his head back and covered his face in his hands, clearly seeming frustrated even if no one could see his face.

"That poor kid. I actually feel kinda bad for him." Shulk commented.

"So do I. We have some time before that event started, right? We should see if we can help him." Melia said.

"Yeah, we've got time. Let's go." Shulk said.

The two walked over and the kid looked up at Shulk, "Mister, could you help me?"

"Well I just got here, what's the problem?" Shulk asked.

The High Entia boy looked around nervously and wagged his finger, like he was telling Shulk to move down to his level.

"I wanted to win a prize for this girl I really like." He whispered in Shulk's ear.

Shulk grinned, "Okay, I'll see what I can do."

Shulk stood upright and looked at the stand owner, "Let me try, what do I need to do?"

"It's just ring toss. You get five rings and two tries, if you land three out of five on either try then you win. 5G to play." The owner explained.

"Alright, let's do it." Shulk said and put the money on the counter.

The man handed Shulk the rings and let him play, but he didn't have much luck with the two tries he had.

"See? This game is rigged! It's almost impossible to win it!" The boy yelled.

"There's always a way to win at these things. Let me try again." Shulk said and put more money on the counter.

Shulk concentrated and mapped out the area, throwing the rings in select spots. He only missed once, landing the three needed to win and not even needing the second try.

"And that's a winner!" The owner said.

Shulk looked over at the kid, "Which one did she want?"

"That one, the pink Bunniv!" He pointed to it.

The stand owner handed Shulk the prize and he gave it to the kid.

"Thanks, mister! You're the best!" He hugged Shulk around his leg and ran off.

"That was really sweet of you, Shulk." Melia smiled.

"I was glad to help. May as well keep the streak going, see anything you like, Melia?" Shulk asked.

Melia looked over the prizes. She found a stuffed DoberCorgi hanging on the ceiling of the stand, where all the grand prizes were. The grand prize ones stood almost as tall as her.

"I like the DoberCorgi." Melia said and pointed to it.

"That one? Okay." Shulk reached into his pocket.

"You have to win both games for the bigger prizes up there." The owner pointed out.

"No problem. Here." Shulk said and handed him the money.

Shulk didn't have much trouble with the first game, but the second one is when he started to feel a little pressure. He was on his second try, two more rings left and needed one more to win.

He concentrated and threw a ring, it clanked against the bottles as it bounced, but ended up missing.

"Damnit! Last one…" Shulk muttered.

Shulk picked up the last ring and looked forward, thinking hard about where to throw it.

Melia reached for his hand, "It's okay, Shulk. I'll be happy with whatever you get me."

"You said you wanted that one, that's what you're gonna get." He said a bit stubbornly. He took a deep breath, picked a spot, and threw his last ring. It bounced off a bottle and Shulk leaned over the counter, watching it anxiously.

"Come on… come on…" Shulk said under his breath.

The ring bounced two more times and landed on a bottle on the back-right side.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Shulk yelled and threw his arms up.

"Another winner! Pick whichever one you like." The owner said.

Shulk pointed up at the DoberCorgi hanging above them.

"Here, Melia." Shulk said, he blushed and handed her the DoberCorgi.

"Thank you, Shulk!" Melia cried as she took it. She pulled Shulk in for a hug.

"I'm glad you like it." He said and wrapped his arms around her.

Melia carried the stuffed animal and they stopped at another booth for some snacks and candy before they walked to the lake. There was already a crowd there and the unveiling was going to be starting very soon. Shulk and Melia stood near the rails by the edge of the lake.

"What's even the point of all this?" A young boy was heard whining through the crowd.

"There's going to be a bunch of fireflies here!" Another voice was heard, sounding like it belonged to a little girl.

Shulk and Melia looked around, trying to find where the voices were coming from.

"Shulk, look." Melia said.

Shulk looked over and followed her gaze. It was a little High Entia boy and a Homs girl. High Entia age much slower than Homs, but they looked to be near the same age. What really stood out was the girl holding a pink Bunniv stuffed animal.

"So what?" The boy asked, not getting it.

"When's the last time you seen any fireflies? They're super rare, and we'll get to see a bunch of them here!" The girl explained.

Shulk and Melia smiled at each other.

"I guess that's the girl he was telling me about." Shulk said.

"Seems like it. It's beautiful to see love expanding into other races. They look so cute together too." Melia added.

They laughed as they watched the two kids bicker and playfully argue back and forth. Melia reached her hand into the box of candy and suddenly jumped, realizing she grabbed Shulk's hand as he went for some too. But to her surprise, he didn't move his hand away like he did back in the lab. Shulk locked his fingers between hers and their eyes met.

"Shulk…" Melia mused as she gazed into his eyes.

 _Love expanding into other races, huh?_

Shulk started to relax and moved closer to her. His eyes lowered and he leaned in, but just before they were about to kiss…

"Well isn't this a surprise!" Someone called to them.

They both felt their hearts pound in their chests as they jumped, being snapped out of their moment.

Dunban pushed his way through the crowd and met up with them, "Shulk, Melia, what are you two doing here?"

"Dunban? I didn't think you would make it either. We're here because I ended up getting sick and needed to be brought back." Shulk explained.

Just then, a girl ran through the crowd and wrapped her arms around Shulk. It happened so fast that he could barely tell what was going on, with the only thing he could see being a trail of blond hair.

"Shulk, I missed you! I overheard you got sick, are you okay?" Fiora asked.

"Fiora?" Shulk asked, now realizing it was her voice. "Yeah, I'm fine now." He added.

"You get one too, Melia. Come here!" Fiora said, she ran over and gave her a hug.

"You look adorable, Melia, and that stuffed animal is really cute too! Where'd you get it?" Fiora asked.

Melia held the DoberCorgi close to her heart and smiled, "Shulk won it for me." She said shyly.

Fiora turned back to Shulk but was cut off by the announcer before she could talk.

"Quiet, friends! Miss Sweetness winner, Ma'Crish, want to say few words before event!" The Nopon announcer said.

Dunban put a hand on Shulk's shoulder, "We're going back to our seats, we can catch up later." He said.

Fiora waved goodbye to them then her and Dunban walked away. Melia couldn't help but feel down from her and Shulk's moment being abruptly cut off. Shulk could feel it too but tried not to let it get to him.

Ma'Crish walked onto the stage, "Thank you everyone for coming. For those of you who haven't heard, I've prepared some Algora sap to attract fireflies to the lake. Being nominated was a special moment for me, so I wanted to do something special for all of you as well."

Ma'Crish lifted her hand and signaled a group of Nopon to lower the sap into the water. Swarms of fireflies started to descend from the sky and towards the lake, their light giving off a soothing, emerald-tinted glow over the water.

"They're so beautiful." Melia said, the glow giving her a sense of tranquility as she stared in awe.

Shulk turned red and felt butterflies in his stomach, "You're even more beautiful, Melia." He said shyly.

Melia looked at him and her eyes grew wide, the light from the fireflies reflected off her eyes and made them look as if they were sparkling.

"Shulk…" Melia mused.

Shulk turned a brighter red and nervously scratched at the back of his neck. Melia nuzzled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Shulk blushed but let her, he put his arm around her and they cuddled close as they watched the fireflies dance around the lake.

The fireflies eventually dispersed and it was getting late. Shulk carried Melia's stuffed animal for her and they walked back to Sharla's house.

"I had a lot of fun." Shulk said. They stopped by the door to Melia's room.

"I did too." Melia said.

Shulk handed her back the DoberCorgi. She took it and looked back up at Shulk, she had this anticipating look in her eyes, like she was waiting for something else…

Shulk seriously thought about going through with it, but for some reason he was hesitating, "So… I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Right… tomorrow." Melia said and looked down slightly.

They said goodnight to each other and went to their rooms. Shulk shut his door and leaned against it, letting out a sigh.

 _What happened at the lake couldn't be helped, but why did I hesitate the second time? Should I have even done it?_

He changed and fell into his bed, letting out a frustrated groan as he buried his face into the pillow. He laid on his back and looked up at the ceiling, feeling like he couldn't fall asleep just yet.

"I won't let the next chance slip by." He promised himself. It took him a while, but he eventually drifted to sleep.

Melia set her stuffed animal on the bed and went to change. She laid down on her bed and snuggled next to her DoberCorgi but was having trouble sleeping. The moments between her and Shulk played over again in her head and kept her awake. Ultimately, the kiss that almost happened earlier stood out.

"Shulk, why is it that whenever we start to get close, we end up being pulled apart?" Melia said quietly to herself. She started to feel a little depressed and held her stuffed animal closer to her chest to try and comfort her. She suddenly kicked the covers off herself and sat up, feeling restless from her thoughts constantly traveling. She looked over at the nightstand and seen Shulk's jacket neatly folded there where she left it. She just stared at it for a few moments, then placed it on her lap. She thought back to being in Makna Forest and Shulk letting her have it, then remembered her talk with Sharla when they went swimming.

Melia smiled then, feeling some reassurance, "There's no use overthinking these things. One missed opportunity doesn't mean that's the end." She said to herself.

She put Shulk's jacket on and laid back down, it felt cold enough in her room to sleep with it on.

"Another chance will present itself eventually, and I'll make sure it doesn't go to waste." She smiled and cuddled her DoberCorgi as she drifted to a sound sleep.


	6. Leap of Faith

Shulk was laying on his bed with his legs crossed and hands behind his head, looking completely relaxed as he watched people taking down the festival decorations from his window.

 _Well, this is it. The festival is over now, and the colony is doing just fine without us. Time to head out for Valak Mountain._

He got ready and went to see who else was up.

 _It's going to be just Melia and I…_

He started to smile and stare off into space as he walked down the hallway. He was too occupied with his thoughts traveling that he didn't notice Melia stepping out of her room. He bumped into her, instantly snapping out of his day dreaming and went to catch her before she fell.

Melia quickly looked around but couldn't find anything to grab on to. She closed her eyes and braced herself, but suddenly felt like she was floating. She slowly opened her eyes and started to blush, she was tilted backwards, with Shulk standing above her and his arms around her to keep her held up.

"Hey…" Shulk said, looking just as flustered.

"Hey…" Melia said back, she stared into his eyes and looked like she was entranced.

"Sorry about that. You okay?" Shulk asked, helping her stand back up.

"It's okay, I'm fine." She said.

They both walked downstairs to see Sharla awake and making breakfast.

"Oh, good morning, you two. I didn't think you'd be up yet. I'll make a plate for you guys." Sharla said.

As they sat down and ate, Shulk and Melia would glance on and off at each other then nervously look away. The tension between them was high since the festival last night and knowing that they were going to be traveling together, just the two of them, only added on to that.

"Hey, is it all right with you two if everyone comes to see you off? Reyn is going to be staying here with me, and Dunban and Fiora stayed the night in the colony." Sharla explained.

"Of course they can." Shulk replied.

Shulk finished eating before them and excused himself so he could pack up what he had. Melia watched him as he walked away.

Sharla grinned at Melia, "Take it your date went well? I seen the way you two have been looking at each other."

"It went very well, actually. Except for one circumstance…" Melia replied and looked down.

Sharla suddenly glared, "What happened, what did he do?"

The two quickly became close after Melia first joined them on their journey, almost like they were sisters. Even though Melia was older, Sharla acted more like the protective big sister.

"Calm yourself, it was nothing like that. What happened- well, _almost_ happened was that he tried to kiss me by the lake, but we were interrupted before it happened." Melia explained.

"Ooh, Melia. And here I thought you were a girl who took things slow." Sharla teased and nudged her arm.

"Like you're one to talk, look at you and Reyn!" Melia shot back.

This was true. After the festival, Reyn asked Sharla to be his girlfriend and she said yes, they were even going to be living together.

"Okay, you got me there. Well, it's going to be just you two for a bit. I'm sure you could make it happen again, no interruptions this time." Sharla tried to reassure her.

Melia nodded and excused herself from the table to pack her things. She put most of her stuff, including Shulk's jacket, into her bag then noticed her DoberCorgi was still on the bed. She picked it up and held it close.

Shulk came into her room and seen her with the stuffed animal. He smiled and leaned against the open door.

"Bringing that with you?" He asked.

Melia jumped, "Oh, Shulk. I didn't hear you walk in. I don't think I have enough room for it, unfortunately."

"I just got here. I travel light, so it didn't take me that long to pack. I came to see if you needed help with anything."

Melia looked at all the things on her bed that she still needed to pack, thinking if there was something she could move around to make room for her DoberCorgi.

"Nothing will happen to it if you leave it here." Shulk said softly.

"I know, but I still cherish it, just like I would any gift you give me." Melia said.

Shulk smiled and pulled her in for a big hug.

Melia realized it would be better to keep the DoberCorgi at Sharla's house and asked if she could hold on to it for her. She agreed, and they left to meet the others; Dunban and Fiora stayed the night at the reconstruction headquarters, while Reyn was already up and at work. Since he was going to be staying with Sharla, he enlisted in the Defense Force for Colony 6. He explained that he wanted to see his friends off and got someone to cover his shift until then.

They walked around the colony for a little while, getting food and other supplies they might need for their journey. Melia was by Shulk's side the entire time, sometimes nuzzling against him or resting her head on his shoulder, which Shulk didn't seem to mind.

With everything done and out of the way, they met with their friends at the entrance gate.

"Come see us when you're done!" Sharla said.

"We will. After this, we should have everything ready to go to Alcamoth. We're going to need all the help we can get." Shulk said.

"We'll be right here. Just say the word when you're ready." Reyn said.

"Hey, Melia…" Fiora started.

"What is it, Fiora?" Melia asked.

Fiora suddenly went up and hugged Melia, "Be safe, and keep an eye on Shulk. He might seem timid, but he gets into trouble easily."

"Shulk being bad? I couldn't even imagine that." Melia said.

Dunban gave a small chuckle, "Oh, he was. He was rebellious and hot-headed when he was growing up. It's not as bad now that he's older, but he can still get like that if he wanted to."

"Is that true, Shulk?" Melia asked and turned to face him.

Shulk nervously scratched at his neck, "Nothing _too_ crazy. Mostly just kids being kids or getting pulled into something by Reyn."

"What the hell, man? Don't go blaming it on me! Geez, I don't know which is colder, _you_ or Valak Mountain!" Reyn protested.

They all laughed and Melia looked back at Fiora.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens." She promised.

Everyone waved as they watched Shulk and Melia go.

"Ready?" Shulk asked as they started off.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I'm glad you came with me, Shulk." Melia said.

"And I'm glad you let me. You would've been the first person on my mind to travel with too if I had a long journey ahead of me." Shulk admitted.

"Me? Why is that?" Melia asked.

"I don't know, I just like having you around." Shulk shyly said and started to blush.

"A little cliché, don't you think? A rebel with a sweet side?" Melia teased.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Shulk said.

"Sorry, it's just hard not to think about. You seem so sweet and gentle, I can't picture you being that way." Melia admitted.

"Well, it's true. I wouldn't follow any rule if I didn't agree with it and had a bit of an attitude back then, got into a lot of arguments because of it." Shulk revealed.

"It's still hard to believe! Give me one example." Melia asked.

Shulk thought about it for a few moments, "Would you believe me if I told you I acted that way to your father and brother once?"

Melia gawked at him, stunned in complete disbelief.

"Yeah, I did. I had a vision when you went into the High Entia Tomb. I seen that you were about to be seriously hurt, maybe even killed. Your father and brother refused to let me go there, saying it went against their rules, so we got into a big argument over it. I probably said some things that I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going to just sit there and let that happen. I told them their rules don't apply to us since we're not High Entia and I stormed out to make sure you were okay." Shulk explained.

"You did that because of me?" Melia asked.

"Of course I did. I was worried sick about you." Shulk said.

Melia could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She stopped and almost threw Shulk off his feet as she pulled him closer and into a tight embrace.

"That's so sweet of you!" Melia cried.

"It was nothing, really." Shulk modestly said.

Melia didn't seem like she wanted to let go of him, so Shulk wrapped his arms around her and they held each other close for another minute before she finally released her grip on him.

"We should get going." Melia said.

"Yeah, let's go." Shulk replied.

It was getting dark by the time they made it to the Sororal Statues in Satorl Marsh. They decided to set up camp at the base of the statues and wait until morning. They finished putting up the tent and Shulk went outside, taking a seat by the edge of the bridge.

"What are you doing, Shulk?" Melia asked as she came over.

"Just checking out those statues." Shulk said and pointed to them.

Melia sat down next to him.

"Those statues were made by the High Entia, weren't they?" Shulk asked.

"You would be correct. They're the Sororal Statues, they depict twin goddesses." Melia answered.

"Soltnar and Khatorl, right?" Shulk asked.

"Correct again, Shulk. You sure know your history." Melia praised.

"Remember those books you brought me when I was sick? Some of them were about the High Entia. I wonder why they made the statues here, though?" He asked.

"This place was once used for our Coming-of-Age ceremony. Actually, it was done right over there." Melia pointed to the circle at the other end of the bridge.

"So it's kind of like what you had to do back in the tomb, or you would have done the ceremony here if it was still being used." Shulk concluded.

Melia went quiet, she looked scared and started to tremble slightly.

"Hey, come here." Shulk noticed her trembling and put his arm over her, "You don't have to be scared. I'll protect you, just like I did back then." He promised her.

Melia gave a nod and put her arm around him, "Thank you, Shulk. You all saved my life that day, I'll never forget the debt I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything. I wouldn't let something like that happen to you, you mean a lot to me and I'd hate to see you hurt." He said.

Melia looked up at him with hearts in her eyes, while Shulk felt some color reach his cheeks and was too embarrassed to look at her. She put both her arms around Shulk and cuddled close to him.

"You mean a great deal to me too, Shulk." She mused.

Shulk smiled and hugged her back, "Come on, it's getting late. We should head back inside."

Back in the tent, Shulk pulled another one of his books out from his bag, deciding to read for a bit before bed. Melia sat next to him and glanced at the pages. Noticing that he was reading more about the High Entia, she offered to answer any questions he might have still had about their history or Alcamoth.

After a while, the book suddenly landed into Shulk's lap and his head fell on Melia's shoulder. She blinked and looked over, he fell asleep on her shoulder, quietly snoring away.

Melia smiled and let him lay there for a bit. She slowly reached her arm out to grab the book without waking up Shulk. She looked at the book and the words, "Alcamoth's Imperial Line" were on the cover. Feeling curious now, she opened it to where Shulk's bookmark was, it was at the start of a new chapter titled, "Role of a Consort".

Melia's jaw dropped, she was so focused on gathering refugees and retaking Alcamoth that the idea of taking a consort completely slipped her mind. She looked back over at Shulk and her heart started beating faster, fantasizing over choosing him to be her consort.

 _This has to be a coincidence. He simply fell asleep as he got to this chapter._

She set the book aside and gently laid Shulk's head back onto his pillow. Melia then made herself comfortable and went to sleep.

The next morning, they quickly packed up and climbed the Sororal Statues, eventually making their way to Makna Forest. The dense trees, warm temperature, and fresh woodland air giving a welcomed change of scenery.

"Hey, Melia, think we could stop at Frontier Village while we're here? We could restock and see if the chief found any refugees yet." Shulk suggested.

"Good idea, Frontier Village it is." Melia replied.

They arrived at Frontier Village shortly after and the first place they went was Riki's house to see if he wanted to walk with them as they ran their errands.

"I wonder how Riki has been doing." Melia thought out loud.

Just as she said that, a ball of fur was seen bouncing towards them at full speed.

"Melly! Melly!" Riki cried and bounced into her arms, "Friends come to visit Riki!"

Melia giggled, "I guess that answers my question. Yes, we came to visit before we left for Valak Mountain. Did you want to come with us around the village, Riki?"

"Yes! Riki join friends!" Riki said, still looking pretty excited to see them.

The three went to see Chief Dunga. He had several High Entia refugees around the village and knew of other's whereabouts, saying they would wait until Alcamoth was reclaimed and head back. They even had a High Entia transport ship they were trying to fix but were not having much luck.

Shulk, Melia, and Riki continued their detour around the village and came across a small Nopon sitting by a ledge high above the reservoir.

"Dabidabi have to do this, but Dabidabi feel afraid. Very high up…" The Nopon said and started shaking in fear.

"What's wrong with him?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, Dabidabi try this before but too scared to do it. Nopon use this as big jump when playing in reservoir below, but also have tradition. Nopon believe that jump also prove how much they love someone. If they brave enough to jump from this high, they brave enough to stay with Loveypon through anything!" Riki explained.

"Sounds more like superstition than tradition." Melia pointed out.

"Sounds like fun, actually." Shulk said and walked up to the plank.

"Seriously, Shulk? Plummeting to near certain death sounds fun to you?" Melia gawked.

"Riki not think Shulk will do it. Shulk brave, but not brave enough for this." Riki taunted.

"Oh yeah? Hold these, Melia." Shulk said. He took off his shirt and handed it to her, along with the Monado.

Shulk walked back over to the ledge and turned around. He was looking right at Melia and grinned as he swung his foot forward and leaned back, falling backwards off the ledge.

"Shulk!" Melia yelled and leaned over the rail.

Shulk turned himself back around as he was free falling. Realization started to sink in on just how high up he was falling from and a look of horror filled his eyes. He could be heard screaming and cursing the entire way down, then there was a splash loud enough to be heard from the platform.

"Shulk? Shulk?!" Melia yelled down to him, but she didn't get an answer or even see him surface.

Melia went into a panic and ran as fast as she could down to the reservoir, looking around frantically for any signs of Shulk.

"Melia! Over here!"

Melia looked over and seen Shulk waving at her. He was soaking wet and standing near the water line.

"Wow, that was such a rush! You've gotta try-" Before Shulk could finish, Melia ran over and threw her arms around him, the impact knocking him back a few steps.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you dolt!" Melia cried. She pounded on Shulk's shoulder and held onto him as tight as she could.

Shulk's eyes softened and he hugged her back, "It's okay, Melia."

"Okay?! You could have died, Shulk! Stupidity of this caliber is something I would have expected from someone like Reyn. What could have possibly possessed you to do that?" Melia demanded.

"You heard what Riki said, didn't you?" He replied.

"So you did it because of peer pressure? Shulk, that isn't worth risking your life over!" Melia shot back.

"No, not that, the other part." Shulk corrected.

"What other part? I don't recall him saying anything else." Melia said, now looking confused.

It suddenly clicked, "Nopon believe that jump also prove how much they love someone."

Melia stared wide eyed at Shulk and blushed, "The reason you jumped was…"

Shulk grinned and was also blushing, but Riki appeared from behind them before he could say anything.

"Melly worry too much, Shulk fine! Riki take back what Riki said, Shulk bravest of all Hom Hom, maybe even more than Dundun!" Riki said.

Melia turned back to Shulk and looked upset, "I'm sorry for lashing out at you so impulsively."

"It's okay, Melia. I'm not mad at you." Shulk assured and gave her a smile.

Melia started to cheer up a little and noticed that Shulk was still drenched, some water on her too from hugging him.

"We can't have you going to Valak Mountain like that." Melia summoned a fire and two wind elementals, "This should dry you off faster."

Melia started to blush as Shulk came closer for the elementals to dry him off. She ignored the fact that he was shirtless earlier but now started looking him up and down.

Shulk felt like someone was staring at him and looked over. He seen that it was Melia, but noticed something else about her too, she was slightly biting her lip and giving him this look he's never seen her make before…

"Something wrong, Melia?" Shulk asked.

Melia broke out of her trance, "Oh, you forgot this, that's all." She said and threw him his shirt.

Shulk put his shirt back on and they went to the shops to top off their supplies. Riki waved goodbye to them and they made their way to Valak Mountain.

"Valak Mountain is a desolate place. Is there anywhere we should begin our search?" Melia asked.

"I have an idea, but I don't think you'll like it." Shulk hesitantly suggested.

"Where?" Melia asked, noticing the gloomy look on Shulk's face.

"…Harict Chapel."

Melia's expression turned to worry, "Are you sure you're okay to go there?"

Shulk let out a deep breath, "Yeah, I think so." He said, not exactly sure of that answer himself.

Shulk was fully aware now of the horrible things that happened there thanks to Dickson and Zanza. Just the mention of that place would make Shulk feel anxiety building up.

Melia watched Shulk closely as they approached the door to the chapel.

"Shulk, it's okay. You're not being forced to do this." Melia assured him.

"I know, this is something I decided to do on my own." He said. The look in his eyes was clear, even if this was something he willingly chose to do, it didn't change the fact he felt scared to come back here.

They only took a few steps into the chapel and Shulk looked like he was about to have a panic attack. His heart started beating rapidly and he looked pale, his breathing was also heavy enough to hear.

"Shulk?" Melia asked.

No answer…

Melia stood in front of him, "That's enough, Shulk. You're clearly not okay." She put her foot down.

Shulk took a few short, quick breaths, "Okay, you're right." He admitted and started hyperventilating.

Melia took his hand, "It's going to be okay, Shulk. Come with me."

Melia took him outside and Shulk immediately sat down with his back against a wall, he closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. Melia sat by him the whole time, she held onto his hand and tried anything she could think of to help him calm down.

He finally started to relax and his breathing sounded more controlled now, "Thank you, Melia. I'm feeling a little better now."

Melia gripped his hand a little tighter, "Shulk, please don't hide these things from me from now on."

"Okay, I won't." He leaned into her and hugged her.

Melia hugged him back, "If it's too hard for you to do, I'll go in by myself. I won't be long."

"No, I think I can do this now. I feel like it's something I have to do to help me get over what happened." Shulk protested.

Melia's eyes softened, she really didn't want to see Shulk put himself through this, but she understood why he was doing it.

"Promise me that you will tell me if something is wrong, first." Melia said.

"Okay, I promise." Shulk said.

"Okay, we'll go back in when you're ready. You don't have to feel like you're being rushed." She said.

They sat outside for a few more minutes to make sure Shulk was okay.

"Alright, I'm ready." He said.

Melia held onto Shulk's hand as they re-entered the chapel. His grip on her hand kept tightening as they got closer to the holster that originally held the Monado. When they were standing in front of it, Shulk's grip was so hard that his fingers were turning white. Melia's focus was completely on making sure Shulk was okay, ignoring both his grip and the heavily gloomy aura the chapel gave off.

"This is where everything began." Shulk thought out loud. He took a few deep breaths and loosened his grip as he thought back on everything that happened.

"Are you feeling okay, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Shulk nodded.

He quietly stared at the empty holster while Melia kept a close eye on him.

"Hey, Melia, have you ever thought about how different our lives would be if these things never happened?" Shulk asked.

"Things like what, Shulk?" She asked.

"Like if I never picked up the Monado, or if that whole war between Bionis and Mechonis never had to happen." He answered.

"A few times, I have. But I try not to dwell on it, it's merely not the world we were born into." Melia said.

"I appreciate that you're brutally honest about it. But you're telling me there isn't anything at all you would have wanted to change?" He asked.

"Is there something _you_ would have wanted to change, Shulk?" She said back.

"I never got to know my parents since it happened when I was so young, all those Homs that were here with them also died when the Monado was released. That would have been something I wanted to change." Shulk answered.

"Shulk…" Melia gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'm sorry that had to happen to you. We've all gone through some form of loss, but do you want to know what I've come to believe? No pain lasts forever. No matter how great the loss, the pain will eventually cease. And when it does, someone or some thing will come into your life to fill that void. I lost my family as well, but what I've gained was you and the others. If I had an opportunity to go back and change that, I still wouldn't do it if it meant losing you all as my friends."

"Melia…" He turned to face her and held her in a tight embrace, "You're right. You and the others I met along the way are what I gained. I miss them so much, but I still have all of you here to keep me moving forward."

Melia gently put her arms around Shulk and hugged him back, "I'm sure you had wonderful parents, Shulk. I would have been honored to meet them."

"I'm sure they would have loved you too. Thank you, Melia. Thank you for always being there for me."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Shulk. I'll always be here."

They slowly broke apart and smiled at each other. They then looked around, noticing there were small groups of High Entia that took refuge inside the chapel.

"Shulk? Shulk! Over here!" One of them called out.

"Zain? So this is where you ended up! Where is your partner, Kurralth?" Shulk asked and walked over.

"He's over at Three Sage Summit. We might have come across the discovery of a lifetime! We found ruins that belonged to the giants here!" Zain cheerfully exclaimed.

"The giants? That's great, I'm happy for you!" Shulk replied.

"If only we could get that gate open, we'd be adventurer legends! Oh, sorry if I sounded like I got carried away. What brings you two all the way out here?" Zain asked.

"We've got something legendary planned as well. We've been traveling to gather High Entia refugees and clear Alcamoth of the Telethia. We have people helping our search, and we're going to Alcamoth very soon." Shulk explained.

A male High Entia across the room overheard them talking and came over. He was wearing Imperial Guard armor and had an insignia over the shoulder.

"Reclaiming Alcamoth, you say? Allow me to assist you. Captain of the Imperial Guard, at your service!" He introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Shulk said.

"This is perfect, a commanding officer to lead the attack on the Telethia is exactly what we need!" Melia added.

"Not just me. Some of the High Entia here are citizens, but others were also Imperial Guards. I can find others willing to join the fight as well." The captain said.

"Actually, if you make your way to Frontier Village, the Nopon have a High Entia transport ship there. If you can get it working, use it to travel freely and ask other areas for assistance. While you're there, tell the Nopon Chief that Shulk and Empress Melia Antiqua sent you, he has other refugees there." Melia advised.

"Good plan. I'll rally what forces I can, and we will meet at the Ether Plant in Eryth Sea." The captain said.

The captain walked back over to the other High Entia, "The time for us to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves is no more! Men, we are taking back the capital! Those of you that can stand and are willing to fight, follow me. We are heading for Frontier Village!"

Soldiers quickly stood up, a sense of drive and vigor suddenly rekindled that could be seen on their faces. They marched behind the captain and left for Frontier Village.

"Those of you that are still here, you have the option to either join the fight or relocate to the Ether Plant!" Melia instructed.

The rest that didn't follow behind the soldiers packed their things and began their hike to the Ether Plant.

"I'll be staying here to inform Kurralth, best of luck to you two." Zain said.

Shulk and Melia left the chapel and traveled back to the upper levels of Valak Mountain, finding a cave spacious enough to make a camp in. They readied the tent and Shulk grabbed some sticks, placing them in a small circle while Melia aimed a fire elemental at it to get a fire started. Shulk got started making dinner and Melia sat by the entrance to the cave, admiring the change in scenery that permeated the area at night.

Shulk walked over with a plate of food and a hot drink in his hands, "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go ahead." She replied.

Shulk handed Melia what was in his hands, then went to grab some for himself and sat down next to her.

"You know, even with all the bad things that happened here, I still think this place looks so beautiful every time I see it." Shulk said as he stared outside.

"Like the chapel and the Faced Mechon?" Melia asked.

Shulk nodded.

"I agree, it does look beautiful here. On the bright side, you were reunited with your loved one in the end." Melia said.

"Loved one? Why do you say it like that?" Shulk asked.

"Well, you and Fiora seem rather close. I figured she was your… significant other." Melia admitted.

She moved her head down to try and hide the hurt look on her face. Even with how close they've gotten over their adventure, she still had doubts in the back of her mind that Shulk might have been taken by someone else.

"Wait, significant other? You mean like my… no no no, you must have been mistaken. Fiora is _not_ my girlfriend." Shulk quickly corrected.

"She's not?" Melia looked up at him with sparkles in her eyes, like a glint of hope was suddenly sparked and could be seen in her eyes.

"No, she's not. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those feelings for her before, but… I don't love her in that way anymore." He said.

"Why not? What happened between you two?" Melia asked.

Shulk looked back outside and took a deep breath, "After Colony 9 was attacked, and Fiora died…"

Melia rested her hand on his lap, "If it's too painful to talk about, you don't have to, Shulk."

"It's okay." Shulk assured her. He took another deep breath and continued.

"After Fiora died, Reyn and I started our journey around the Bionis. I had plenty of time to think while we traveled, most of it being about Fiora. Eventually, I started to accept that she was gone and I needed to move on. Even though she came back, the feelings I had for her never did."

"I see. I'm sorry you had to go through something like that, Shulk." Melia said somberly.

"You don't have to be sorry. I feel fine now, and it was for the best. Fiora wouldn't have wanted me to stay stuck in the past, regardless if she came back or not. And to be honest, I already have moved on. I've actually had a crush on this one girl for a while now." Shulk said.

"You have? Who is this girl?" Melia asked.

Shulk smiled and stared outside, "I've actually known this girl for a while. When we first met, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She seems kind of quiet and hard to open up to at first, but once I got past that I realized there was so much more to her. She's also smart, always level-headed, and constantly puts others before herself. I've gotten to know her so much better, and that crush I have just gets stronger the more I find out about her. I don't know how else to say it, I love this girl, I'm _in love_ with her."

"I see. She sounds remarkable, she's lucky to have someone like you in her life, Shulk." Melia said, the sparkle in her eyes started to fade away.

 _Why did I believe I even had a chance? He's had his mind made up since the beginning. Whoever she is, she sounds much better off for Shulk…_

"If anything, _I'm_ the lucky one. I just wish I knew if she felt the same way about me. I've been trying to get her attention, even doing some pretty stupid stuff to do it sometimes." Shulk said.

"Like what?" Melia asked.

 _Wait, why would I even want to know? I guess I'd be lying if I said this girl doesn't pique my interest._

"A good friend of mine told me they have this tradition back home where they prove how much they love someone by jumping off this gigantic tree and into a reservoir down below. I actually believed it and jumped to try and show her that." Shulk said.

 _But that was earlier today, I didn't see any other girl around. Maybe I was acting so hysterical after he jumped that I didn't notice?_

"Maybe you should try being more direct and just ask her." Melia suggested.

 _Why am I even trying to help him with this?_

"I've thought about that. I didn't ask her because I was too nervous and didn't know how she felt, but we've been spending some time together recently and I'm starting to think that maybe she likes me too." Shulk said.

"Wait, you said 'recently'? When was this?" Melia suddenly asked.

"Just the other day, actually. I finally worked up the courage and asked her to be my date for this festival back at the colony. I even tried to kiss her during this event by the lake but was cut off before it happened." Shulk answered.

 _His date to a festival? A kiss that almost happened by the lake? No, he can't be referring to…_

"Shulk, what's this girl's name?" Melia asked.

Shulk grinned and turned to face her, "Her name is Melia Antiqua."

Melia turned bright red and let out a small gasp, she placed her hand over her chest as she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Me?" Melia asked, still in shock.

"Yes. It's you, Melia." He said again.

"B-but… but why me? I don't feel like I've done anything to deserve that kind of affinity from you. Throughout the course of our journey around the Bionis and Mechonis, I felt like I was just a burden on you all. What could you possibly see in that?" Melia asked.

"That's where you're wrong, Melia. You're not a burden, you've done so much for me and I don't think you even realize it." Shulk answered.

"I don't understand." Melia said back.

"You've helped me through so much in the time we've known each other. I might not have looked like it when we first met, but I was a total wreck and still grieving for Fiora. Being around you helped ease the pain I was hiding from everyone, sometimes I even forgot all about my worries and felt like I could just smile and enjoy the moment I was in. Even after the incident with Fiora, you were always by my side and continued to help me. If you want my honest opinion, I think you're the strongest out of all of us. Even after all the horrible things you've been through, you kept moving forward and didn't let them tear you down like what happened to me. It was something I've always admired about you, and as we kept traveling together and gotten to know each other better, you became more than someone I just admired, you became someone I fell in love with."

Melia moved closer and reached for Shulk's hand. She locked her fingers between his and looked into his eyes, "You're wrong on something too, Shulk. I wasn't fully okay after everything that happened to me. The only reason those things didn't tear me down was because I had you there to support me. No matter what, you were always there to protect me and help me through it. Shulk, I've been in love with you ever since you first came to my rescue, and those feelings I had for you only grew stronger the more we've traveled together. I've never had anyone care about me as much as you have. I love you, Shulk."

"Melia…" Shulk mused. He caressed her cheek with his open hand, "I love you too. Just like you, I've felt the same way for a long time."

He gazed into her eyes for another moment, then leaned in as they shared a soft, tender kiss. Melia put her arms around Shulk and pulled him closer as the kiss deepened and became more passionate.

They broke the kiss and Melia gazed back into his eyes.

"Shulk…" She mused.

"I guess we've always been supporting each other and never realized it." Shulk gave a small smile.

Melia leaned in and hugged him, "It seems that we have, even more than we could have imagined. I love you, Shulk."

Shulk wrapped his arms around her, "I love you too, Melia."

Melia lifted her head up and kissed him again. She stayed nuzzled close to him as they stared outside, watching the glow illuminate over the snowy mountains.

"It really is beautiful here." Shulk said.

"I agree." Melia said.

They sat up after a few more minutes and went back inside. Melia pulled Shulk's jacket out of her bag and put it on, then laid next to him with her head resting on his chest as they drifted to sleep.


	7. Future Plans Pt1

The nightly glow that filled Valak Mountain with a soothing and peaceful aura had faded. Another day has begun, the sun radiating through the near empty sky as two figures slept soundly.

Shulk woke up first and he looked down to see Melia still sleeping on his chest. He decided to let her sleep, running his hand through her hair as he watched the snow fall outside.

Melia started to stir after a few minutes. She sat up and stretched her arms as she let out a yawn.

"Hey, Angel. Good morning." Shulk said and gave her a small kiss.

Angel was a pet name that Shulk gave to Melia; He thought it would be fitting since the High Entia's wings gave them an angelic appearance, and Melia didn't seem to mind being called by it either.

"Good morning, Boo." Melia mused and leaned into him for a hug.

Boo was Melia's pet name for Shulk. She didn't use it that often, but it still made him blush when she did.

"Sleep well?" Shulk asked.

Melia gave a small nod and hugged him tighter.

"We should get moving soon. But let's eat first, I'm starving!" Shulk said.

Melia used another elemental to get a fire started for Shulk and began packing while he cooked. After they ate, Shulk helped her pack up what was left and they exited the cave.

"Where should we go from here?" Shulk asked.

"We could check if the captain repaired the ship yet and decide from there." Melia replied.

As they walked over the bridge and into Frontier Village, they could see the transport ship still underneath with a few High Entia soldiers around it. There was also a familiar looking Nopon watching them from the bridge.

"Shulk?! Melly?!" Riki jumped seeing the two walking towards the village.

"Did you miss us, Riki?" Melia smiled and picked him up for a hug.

"Riki always happy to see friends!" Riki said as he brushed against Melia's cheek.

Shulk leaned over the rail and watched the High Entia soldiers fixing the ship, "They look like they're having a bit of trouble."

"Funny clothed bird people been here since last night." Riki pointed out.

"We should see if we can lend any assistance." Melia said.

Melia put Riki down and he followed behind the two as they walked to the lower floor.

"Captain." Melia called.

"Empress!" He said and saluted.

"Having issues with the transport ship?" Melia asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. We were able to fix some of the problems ourselves, but it was in pretty bad shape when we arrived." The captain replied.

"Let us have a look, maybe we can help." Shulk suggested.

They walked closer and opened a few of the panels underneath the ship, revealing several rows of cylinders with pipes and wires hidden behind them.

"What's all this, Melia?" Shulk asked and pointed.

"These cylinders are used to store ether while the surrounding pipes and wires carry that ether to be converted into fuel. A few cylinders are low, but that doesn't appear to be the main issue. Maybe the problem is with the fuel combustion." Melia said.

Melia opened another panel nearby and a blast of heat and smoke escaped. A few minutes after the smoke cleared they could see all the damage sustained inside.

"Don't have to be an expert to know that's a bad thing." Shulk chuckled, "It's going to take some time to fix, but I'm pretty sure we have everything we need around the village."

The two held hands and walked around Frontier Village, stopping at several places along the way to collect extra parts. Shulk went right to work once they got back. After a few hours, he pulled his head out from the open panel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That should do it. Let's go find the captain." Shulk said.

They closed the panels and found the captain in the cockpit of the ship.

"We think we solved the issue, try starting it up." Shulk instructed.

The captain sat in the pilot's chair and put in the activation key, making a display screen in front of him flicker and light up. He flipped a few more switches and the interior lights turned on as a small humming noise came from the ship.

"So far so good. Let's see if it can move." The captain moved the throttle slightly and pulled back on the yoke, making the ship hover a few feet off the ground.

"And we're airborne." The captain grinned.

"Shulk and Melly make bird people ship work again!" Riki praised.

"Indeed they did. We are in your debt." The captain said.

"No problem. Now you guys can do what you need to do. Do you think you could take us to Colony 6 while you're at it?" Shulk asked.

"Of course. You're the ones who got this thing working, after all." The captain replied.

The rest of the soldiers boarded and the ship took off. Melia sat next to Shulk and looked out the window, while Shulk's eyes were darting across the entire ship.

"This thing is incredible!" Shulk said.

"It's not that complicated on how it works, really." Melia commented.

"Maybe to you guys, but technology like this was stuff that we could only dream of! Maybe you could show me more of how this works later on or any other High Entia tech?" Shulk asked.

"You and your obsession with machines." Melia joked, "I'd be glad to if we come across anything."

"Melly teach Riki to fly too!" Riki exclaimed.

"We'll have to see about that one, Riki." Melia giggled.

The ship landed outside the colony gates and the three stepped off.

"We'll leave after we resupply our ether from the mines. We'll come back and take you to Eryth Sea when all the preparations are made." The captain said.

Shulk, Melia, and Riki walked inside the colony and went to Reyn and Sharla's house.

Sharla opened the door and her eyes grew wide in surprise, "Shulk, Melia? You guys are back! Oh, you brought Riki with you too? Reyn, your little buddy came to visit you!"

Reyn heard Sharla calling him and came downstairs, "Furball? What're you doing here?"

"Riki knew Reyn would be sad without Riki around." Riki replied.

"Don't push your luck there, fuzz ball." Reyn growled.

"Be nice, Reyn, you know you secretly missed him. Anyways, what are you three doing here?" Sharla asked.

"Well, a lot has happened lately." Shulk started.

"Yeah, you guys flying around in a fancy ship didn't say that already." Reyn commented.

"Oh, you guys saw that?" Shulk asked.

"The whole colony did. You don't exactly see that many High Entia ships anymore." Sharla pointed out.

"We came across a transport ship in Makna Forest and refugees that were previously Imperial Guard in Valak Mountain. They are making preparations for the assault on Alcamoth and we would be heading for Eryth Sea when they are finished." Melia explained.

"That's great! But why would you come here, then?" Sharla asked.

"Well… we kind of needed a place to stay until then." Shulk answered hesitantly.

"You ain't gotta sound nervous about asking, you guys can stay here." Reyn assured.

"It's going to be a little tight on space with three people, though. You might have to stay in the living room, Riki." Sharla added.

"Riki small, Riki not take up much space." Riki said.

"Shulk and Melia, you two can stay in the guest room." Sharla said.

"I'm fine with that. I could really use a shower though, I've been neck-deep in that ship trying to fix it before we got here." Shulk said.

"Go ahead." Sharla replied.

Shulk kissed Melia's cheek and walked down the hall. Everyone else looked surprised and gawked at Melia, most notably Sharla.

"Did he just… are you two…" Sharla started.

Melia nodded and smiled brightly.

"Atta girl! I knew you could do it!" Sharla exclaimed and went over to hug Melia.

"There better not be any funny business going on if you two are going to be in the same room." Sharla realized as they broke apart.

Melia turned bright red, "Sharla! We just started dating, you know!" She cried and looked away embarrassed.

Two weeks went by since Reyn and Sharla let everyone stay with them. Shulk started to feel like they were overstaying their welcome and offered to take over some of Reyn's work to pay him back, which Reyn happily agreed to at the thought of less work. They all still hung out around the colony whenever they could.

Shulk let out an exhausted sigh as he opened the front door, he just got done with another shift for Reyn.

"I'm back!" He called out.

No one answered. He looked around and it seemed like everyone was out, except he could hear running water in the bathroom and figured someone was in the shower.

 _Well, looks like I have some time to myself. I know that isn't Reyn since he went out, guess I could work on his driver for a bit._

Shulk stopped at the doorframe to his room and looked back down the hallway.

 _Who's in there, anyways? Riki hates staying inside all day so he's more than likely out, and Sharla went with Reyn when he left too, didn't she? Guess that leaves only Melia…_

He suddenly started to blush and shook his head as he realized where his thoughts were going.

 _No, not until she's ready._

Shulk went into his room and sat at his desk. He pulled some parts out of his bag and some tools from the drawer and started to work.

The sound of running water stopped and hot steam escaped as the bathroom door opened. Melia exited from it, she was fully dressed but her hair was down and slightly damp. She walked into their room and seen Shulk.

"Shulk? When did you get here?" Melia asked.

"Oh. Hey, Angel. I just got back." He replied.

She gave a small laugh and started to smile, while Shulk just looked confused.

"What are you laughing at, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that you look really cute in a uniform." She said back.

Other people in the defense force knew that Shulk wasn't an official employee and was just working to pay back Reyn, but they still told him he has to wear the uniform while he's there.

Shulk started to blush and shyly looked away, "It's not like this is your first time seeing me in it."

"So? I still think it looks cute." Melia walked behind him and put her arms over his shoulders. She kissed his cheek and leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"What are you making?" She asked.

"Just working a little on Reyn's driver. The weapon itself is back in the lab and they don't have all the tools I'd need here anyways, so I'm working on the smaller parts and can just add them on whenever we go back to Colony 9." Shulk answered.

Melia stayed leaned over Shulk and watched him work.

"You don't have to stay standing, Melia. You can sit down if you want, I should be done soon." Shulk offered.

"I'm fine. I was actually kind of interested." Melia replied.

"Well, if you want, you could help me work. Here, come a little closer." He said.

Shulk let Melia sit on his lap since there were no other chairs to pull closer. He leaned to the side of her and talked her through what to do.

Melia smiled warmly as they worked, Shulk noticed and looked up at her.

"Something on your mind, Angel?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing, Shulk." She spaced out and Shulk snapped her out of it, but she still had that smile and her cheeks were slightly red.

"Doesn't look like it. Come on, tell me." Shulk pressed.

"It might sound a little weird." Melia said nervously.

"Now I really want to know. I won't laugh or anything." Shulk said.

"Okay." Melia gave in and took a deep breath, "I know this is still Reyn and Sharla's house, but they've been out more since you've been taking over some of Reyn's work to pay him back. With how often they're gone it's almost like it's just us and our own place, I kind of like it." She admitted and started blushing.

Shulk smiled and Melia turned around to face him, thinking he was trying not to laugh.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh, Shulk." She gave a small glare even though she was still red.

"No, I'm not laughing. I just thought it was cute. You're thinking a bit fast there, but it still sounded cute." Shulk said.

Melia felt so embarrassed that she hid her face in Shulk's shoulder, "I know it sounded sudden, but we've already known each other for a while and…"

"I never said I was against it, you know." Shulk interrupted.

Melia lifted her head slightly so she could see him, "So I'm not sounding weird?"

"Of course not. We've already been traveling together for a while, so it doesn't sound like it would be much of a change. Besides… I like the sound of that too." Shulk admitted and blushed.

"You do?" Melia asked.

"Yeah, I do. We've still got some things to take care of, so we don't have to rush into that, but I'd be open to the idea after all that's over." Shulk said.

Melia beamed and hugged Shulk tightly.

"Our own place, just the two of us…" Shulk thought out loud.

"Alone…" Melia mused.

Realization slowly started to sink in as they broke apart. Their eyes met and they looked like they had the same thing on their minds, turning even redder the more they thought about it.

That same look Melia gave him at the reservoir reappeared on her face, "You know… we don't have to wait until then. We're home alone right now."

Melia put her arms back around Shulk's neck. She leaned down and gave him a soft, passionate kiss.

Shulk grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss. As if by themselves, his hands left her waist and started to travel around her slim body. They eventually reached the zipper on her dress and he pulled it down.

Melia sat back up and moved the straps off her shoulders, making her dress fall slightly and leaving her bra exposed.

 _Just the two of us… Home alone…_

The thought and realization of it made her feel excited, even eager. Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted as she felt Shulk's hand slide up her dress and in between her legs. It made her jump a little and reflexively buck her hips, but she didn't stop him.

Shulk could feel Melia's thighs twitching as he moved his fingers. He looked up at Melia and grinned from the soft, quiet moans she was trying to hide.

"And just when I thought you couldn't be any more adorable." He teased.

Melia didn't say anything, looking so flustered that she probably couldn't. She looked down at Shulk and returned the grin as she reached behind her to unclip her bra.

Before Shulk could react, Melia grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into an aggressive kiss. His eyes widened in surprise, but he slowly sank into it, returning the kiss and moving his fingers faster across her slit.

They broke the kiss and Melia put her hand behind Shulk's head, pulling him closer to her breast. Shulk lightly sucked on the tip as his finger slipped inside her.

"Shulk~" Melia purred and pushed him harder against her chest.

Shulk slipped a second finger inside Melia's folds as he continued sucking on her breast, moving them in teasingly slow circles.

"Mm~!" Melia bit back a moan, but the bucking in her hips made it clear that she was enjoying it.

Shulk's fingers stopped circling and he began to thrust them in and out of her.

"Shulk~!" Melia couldn't hold back her moaning any more. Her inner walls clenched around his fingers and precum leaked over them.

The wet noises were getting louder as Shulk's fingers thrusted harder and faster into her. Melia's body started to tense up, feeling her climax getting closer.

"Shulk, I can't hold it any longer~!" She pulled Shulk off her breast and kissed him passionately, moaning into his lips as she trembled and soaked his hand in her cum.

Melia broke the kiss and limply cuddled closer to him. She was still shaking slightly and panting, too exhausted to fix her dress or put her bra back on.

"So good~" She cooed, still trying to catch her breath.

Shulk took his hand out from under her dress and kissed her cheek, letting her stay on his lap for a minute to recover. When he tried to stand up, Melia pushed him back into his chair. She kissed his neck and moved closer to his ear.

"Now it's my turn to do something for you." She whispered and nibbled on his lobe.

"You're still tired, Melia. Don't be pushing yourself too-" Shulk was suddenly cut off as Melia pressed her lips to his.

Melia broke the kiss and gently caressed his cheek, "I'm fine, Shulk. Just lay back and let me do the rest."

Melia kept her hand at Shulk's chest to make sure he wouldn't try and stand up again. She leaned in for another kiss then moved down to his neck, feeling his heart beating faster as she kissed and left marks on the side of his neck. After she was done, she got off his lap and moved his legs farther apart. She sunk to her knees and in between his legs, completely out of sight from under the desk, then undid his belt and took off his uniform pants. She pulled down his boxers and her wings started fluttering as she placed her hand around his manhood.

 _I've imagined what our first time would be like before, but he's even bigger than I pictured him to be._

A look of eagerness covered Melia's face as she worked her hand from the base to the tip. Shulk started to relax from her touch and sat back in his chair like she told him to. She stroked for a little longer, feeling him getting even harder as his cock started to throb in her hand. Her thighs rubbed together as she felt a wetness re-emerge between her legs, and almost like it was without thinking, she shut her eyes and moved closer, opening her mouth and slowly working her way down his shaft.

"Melia~" Shulk let out a small moan and put his hand on her head as she bobbed up and down.

 _He tastes so good~_

Melia's hand reached into her panties and she rubbed her clit, feeling her arousal building back up. She started to feel hot and like her mind was going numb as her lips moved further down. She took her mouth off his cock and a thin line of saliva trailed her lips as she moved her head away.

"I-it's really hot in here." Melia murmured. She took off what was left of her dress, leaving her panties the only thing still on.

"Staying under the desk probably isn't going to help that, maybe we should take this over to the bed." Shulk took her hand and helped her stand up, blushing even more at the sight of Melia's almost nude body on display.

They walked over to the end of the bed and Melia suddenly yanked Shulk by his hand and into a rough, passionate kiss.

Shulk let out a small yelp in surprise, but slowly closed his eyes and pulled her closer. His hand reached down Melia's backside, making a loud slap against her ass and giving it a firm squeeze as he deepened the kiss. Melia let out an excited moan from it as a small shock of arousal went up her body, even making her wings start to flutter again.

Melia broke the kiss and shoved Shulk onto the bed. He lifted his head up to see her, not even trying to hide that he was eyeing her up and down while he waited for her to come closer.

"You're not exactly the subtle type, are you Shulk?" Melia cutely giggled as she moved her hips, knowing exactly where he was looking.

"I just like what I see, that's all." Shulk grinned.

Melia blushed a little from his comment, "If you like it that much, I'm sure you'll love this."

Melia turned to the side and grabbed the edges of her panties, arching her back and slowly sliding them down as if she was doing it on purpose to tease him. They fell to her feet and she kicked them to the side, landing next to the desk by where her bra was. As she turned back to him, she grinned and moved her leg to block his view of her pussy.

"Okay, that's not fair!" Shulk pleaded.

Melia had this slight sway in her hips as she climbed onto the bed, still being careful not to let him see anything.

She climbed on top of him and cupped her hand under his chin, lifting his head as the two made eye contact, "You're in no position to tell me what's fair. There's only one part of me you haven't seen yet, but you're still half-dressed. You want to see more? You have to show _me_ something, then."

Melia leaned down and kissed him deeply as she undid the buttons on his uniform top. She swung both sides of his shirt apart, biting her lip at the surprising amount of muscle he had. Her hands started at his abs and slowly made their way up his body.

"Certainly more than I was expecting for someone who claims to be brain-over-brawn." Melia commented.

"I guess it's from all the heavy equipment they have me work with at the defense force." Shulk murmured sheepishly.

Melia grinned as her hands worked their way behind his back, she dug her nails into his skin and raked them across his back.

Shulk made a small wince in pain, but he had this look on his face as if he liked it. He sat up and placed his hands on her hips, their eyes locked on each other as he leaned in closer to her.

"Wasn't expecting an empress to have such an aggressive side either." He teased.

"I don't see anything wrong with marking what's mine. You don't look like you're complaining either." She teased back.

Melia moved her lips closer and kissed him, deepening it as she felt him reaching to give her a firm slap across her ass. She nibbled on his bottom lip as they broke the kiss, then pushed him down again onto his back.

"Was this what you were waiting for, Shulk?" Melia's hand reached between her legs and she teased her folds to spur him on a little more, then lowered her hips and rested her bare clit against his cock. She started to move her hips back and forth, feeling small jolts of ecstasy shoot up her body from the friction on her clit.

"Enough teasing, Melia~" Shulk begged.

Melia sat up a little and lined the head of his cock to her entrance. She moved her folds apart and slowly sunk back down as Shulk's cock disappeared inside her.

"Ah~ Melia~!" Shulk purred as she moved up and down.

The sounds of their bed creaking became louder and Melia's breasts bounced freely as she picked up the pace.

"So good~!" Melia moaned breathlessly.

Shulk's eyes rolled back and he shuddered from the overwhelming feeling of lust filling him. He squeezed Melia's ass and thrusted back as she came bouncing down, slamming his cock so deep that he was practically hitting her womb.

"Shulk~!" Melia blurted out his name loud enough to be heard around the entire house. Her juices were squirting out as she leaned down, hiding her face by his collar bone and exhaling shakily.

"Are you okay, Melia? Was that too-"

Melia lifted her head and kissed him passionately, their tongues swirling around each other's as Melia buried Shulk's cock back inside her. She moved her hips around to hit her sensitive spots as she moaned into the kiss.

Melia started to feel light-headed and everything became a blur. She had this smoldering look about her as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Shulk… give me more…" She begged breathlessly.

Shulk gripped her tightly around her waist and planted his feet into the bed. He pulled Melia in for another kiss and relentlessly thrusted in and out of her entrance.

"Mm~ Yes~! Oh, God, yes~!" Melia purred. She went limp and buried her face in his neck, moaning frantically by his ear while Shulk kept up his assault.

Shulk started to pant and slowed down the pace, completely exhausted as a thin layer of sweat sheened over his skin and highlighted more of his muscle.

"Don't stop, Shulk~ I'm almost there~!" Melia pleaded. She sat up and took over, her hips bucking like wild as his cock repeatedly disappeared back inside her.

"So good~… so close~!" Melia's moaning turned into needy panting as her pussy repeatedly clenched around his cock, about to climax at any second.

Shulk could feel his body tensing up as his eyes rolled farther back. He completely ignored his exhaustion, slamming his hips back against Melia even faster and harder than he was before.

"Melia~! I'm gonna cum~!" Shulk cried out.

Melia's whole body shook as Shulk took back over, dissolving into pure pleasure as her eyes rolled back.

"I'm cumming too, Shulk~!" Melia cried right before everything went to black. Her orgasm came crashing down seconds later, coating both her thighs and Shulk's cock in hot cum.

Shulk let out another moan as he felt Melia's juices run down his cock. He pulled out seconds later and tilted his head back as he stroked his cock, feeling a strong wave of pleasure hit him as his cum exploded out.

Melia wrapped her hand around his dick and kept stroking as she leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss, letting every last drop of cum out and completely finishing his orgasm.

They broke the kiss and fell next to each other on the bed, both of them still looking flushed and panting to catch their breath.

"That was… blissful…" Melia mused.

"It was… it felt amazing…" Shulk purred.

Melia rolled over and nuzzled closer to him, "I don't think we'll have another chance to do that again for a while. We're still temporarily living with Reyn and Sharla, after all."

Shulk put his arm over her and kissed the top of her head, "We'll see what happens. Now that you mention it, we should probably get dressed before they come back."

Melia wrapped her arms around him to keep him from getting up, "Do we have to do it right now?" She playfully whined.

Shulk gave a small laugh and hugged her back, "I'd rather be safe than sorry, Sharla would kill me if she seen us like this. Stay here, Angel, I'll be right back."

Shulk sat up and got off the bed. He cleaned himself off and changed into a black tank top and pajama bottoms.

"Anything in particular you want, Melia?" Shulk asked as he opened a drawer full of her clothes.

"Any pair of shorts out of that drawer is fine, and a gray top out of the one next to it. Could you bring me my towel from the bathroom so I can clean myself off too, please?" Melia asked.

"Alright, wait right there." Shulk replied.

Shulk left her clothes on the nightstand and went to get her towel. He handed her everything and looked back over at the desk.

"Oh, almost forgot what I was working on. Can't have Reyn seeing that." Shulk cleared off the desk while Melia cleaned off and got dressed. He looked down and seen Melia's bra and underwear still on the floor by his desk.

"Can't have Sharla seeing _that_ either." Shulk chuckled and threw them in their hamper.

"Shulk, come back to bed already~!" Melia playfully whined again.

"Okay, okay. So needy." He teased.

"Oh, okay. I'll go back to my side then since I'm being too needy." She teased back and rolled over.

"Hey, don't be like that. Come here." Shulk climbed back into bed, giving Melia a hug from behind and kissed her cheek.

Melia cutely giggled and rolled back over, "I'll forgive you this time."

Melia nuzzled closer and Shulk cradled her under his arm, they kissed each other good night and went to sleep.


	8. Homecoming

The next day, everyone else was at home while Reyn went to work, trying to decide what to do for the day.

"Roller skating?" Shulk asked.

"Yeah, that rec center Juju was telling us about is ahead of schedule, so they decided to open early. They have a roller rink there and it sounded kinda fun! I was going to ask you guys about it yesterday, but you were already asleep by the time Reyn and I got back." Sharla said.

What Shulk and Melia did last night popped into their heads and made them start to blush. Shulk looked over at Melia with a sly grin while she turned away shyly.

They weren't exactly being subtle about it and Sharla started to give them suspicious looks. She looked at Melia first, they were still wearing what they slept in and noticed she didn't have a bra on but didn't think anything of it since they were at home. What really made her suspicious was Shulk, seeing the hickeys and bite marks on the side of his neck.

"What happened to you?" Sharla pointed at his neck and glared, her big sister persona kicking in.

Melia nervously ran her hand through her hair while Shulk kept a straight face and pointed to his neck.

"Oh, this? Accident at work because of Reyn's negligent boss. He wanted me to build something and I kept telling him the parts he supplied me with weren't going to work. He wouldn't listen, and it literally blew up in my face, shrapnel from it ended up hitting me in the neck." Shulk explained.

"Uh huh… I guess that explains why Reyn went to work this time instead of having you fill in. Want me to look at it?" Sharla asked.

Shulk covered his neck marks with one hand and held up the other in a reassuring way, "Nah, I'm fine. I already got checked out at the medical bay. They said it was just some bruises and small cuts, they'll heal on their own."

Sharla's glare started to leave, "Okay, if you say so. Anyways, back to what we were saying about going out?"

"It's been a while since I last skated but sounds fun! What about you, Melia? Want to go?" Shulk asked.

"I don't exactly know how to." Melia sheepishly admitted.

"That's all right, I can teach you." Shulk offered.

"Okay, I'll come along." Melia said.

"Alright! I'll ask Reyn when he gets back then we'll all go!" Sharla said.

Shortly after, Shulk and Melia went back up to their room. Melia shut the door behind them and grinned, seeing that Shulk had his back turned. She tackled him onto the bed and nuzzled close to him.

"Do you think Sharla believed that?" Melia asked.

"Well she didn't try to attack me, so I think it worked. It was pretty good for something thought up right on the spot, huh?" Shulk joked.

"You thought of that right then and there?" Melia asked.

Shulk started to look shy, "Remember when we left for Valak Mountain and you wanted to know what I was like before we met? It was more than just having a bad attitude, I got into trouble every now and again too. After a while, I learned how to make up stories on the spot and it got me out of some jams a few times."

Melia grinned and pulled him closer, their lips only inches apart.

"I guess Dunban was right, you _can_ still be bad when you want to be." She purred.

"Says the one who left marks all over my neck and back." Shulk teased.

He moved closer and kissed her. Melia returned the kiss but suddenly let out a yelp, feeling Shulk's hand going up her shirt.

She broke the kiss and nudged his arm away, "Not right now, Shulk."

"Sorry, they've got minds of their own." Shulk joked. He held up his hands and shook them like they were being possessed, then flicked Melia across her nose.

She flinched and gave him a small glare, "What did you do that for?"

"Again, minds of their own." He smirked.

"Hmph." Melia pouted and flicked her finger against his forehead.

"Ow!" Shulk grunted and covered his forehead.

"Sorry, minds of their own." Melia grinned.

"Okay, that's it!" Shulk tackled her down and they roughhoused on the bed.

Melia reached for a pillow and hit him across the head with it. While he flinched and had his eyes closed, she pushed him off her and sat above him, pinning him down by his wrists.

Shulk instantly started to blush, "That's cheating…"

"You're just making excuses because you lost." Melia teased.

She kept him pinned by his wrists and leaned down for a kiss, nibbling on his bottom lip as they broke apart.

"Ahem."

Shulk and Melia both jumped and looked behind them. Sharla was standing at the door with her arms crossed.

Melia turned slightly red and quickly got off Shulk, "Sharla, we weren't doing anything. I swear."

Sharla's serious look suddenly left and she laughed, "It's okay, I know. I'd be more concerned about Shulk trying something before you did."

"Thanks, Sharla. Really appreciate the trust you have in me." Shulk said sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, Melia doesn't seem like the kind of girl to do that. Either way, that ain't happening in this house, keep it in your pants until you're out of here, Shulk." Sharla warned and walked away.

"So protective." Melia giggled.

"If only she knew." Shulk rested his hands behind his head and put on a cocky grin.

Reyn came back later that evening with Riki. Sharla brought up the idea of roller skating to him, and even though he was hesitant at first, Reyn gave in and decided to go since everyone else wanted to.

The five of them went out to eat then went to the roller rink. The rec center itself was huge and had plenty of other rooms for stuff to do besides roller skating, but with all the other people there anticipating the early opening, it made it seem smaller than it actually was.

They all got their skates and sat down to put them on.

"And how exactly are you gonna use those with your stubby legs, fuzz ball?" Reyn smirked.

Riki made a pouty face at him. He put his arms in the skates and held himself up, then swung his body side to side to get himself moving.

"Dumbdumb Reyn have any more questions?" Riki sneered.

"Dumb, am I? C'mere, you! We'll take you next door and use you as a volleyball!" Reyn yelled.

"Have to catch Riki first!" Riki turned around and took off with Reyn chasing behind him.

"Hey, wait for me, you two!" Sharla stood up and followed behind them.

Shulk finished helping Melia get her skates on and held out his hand.

"Just be careful you don't-" Before Shulk could finish, Melia tried to stand up and fell.

"…Fall. Come on, Angel, grab on." Shulk said and helped her back to her feet.

Shulk and Melia stayed to the side so he could help her learn while the others skated around the rink. Melia sat down after a few tries and looked a little frustrated.

Shulk sat down next to her, "Hey, it's okay. I fell plenty of times before I learned how to do it."

"I'm aware that I wouldn't get it right away, I'm just having a hard time concentrating. It's been weeks and we still haven't heard anything from the captain." Melia answered.

"Oh, so that's what you're worried about?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded and Shulk reached for her hand.

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing, we'll hear from him when the time is right. Until then, just try to relax and enjoy the time we have here together!" Shulk said.

Shulk took both her hands and helped her stand up. He gently pushed her along as he started to skate.

"Shulk!" Melia tightly gripped onto him, scared she might fall again.

"It's okay, I got you. Just watch my feet." He instructed.

After a little while, Melia was starting to get the hang of it and could skate without Shulk having to help her.

"Doing good, Melia. Think you're ready to hop onto the rink with the others?" Shulk asked.

Melia gave a hesitant nod and Shulk took her by the hand to help her into the rink. She took it slow while Shulk decided to show off a little. He went in circles around her, then took off ahead of her skating backwards. He went far enough ahead to be sure he wouldn't accidently bump into her before trying some moves he used to know, doing spins, grapevines, skating on his heels, and moonwalking.

"A little rusty from not skating for so long, but still not bad!" Shulk said to himself.

Sharla gave Shulk a disapproving look as she and Reyn skated by, "Yeah, that's great and all, Shulk, but aren't you forgetting someone?"

Shulk went back to Melia's side and held her hand, "Sorry, got a little carried away."

"How did you learn to skate that well?" Melia asked.

"Fiora taught me when we were younger. She probably did it to get me out of the lab more often." He replied.

"I see." Melia said nonchalantly.

"You picked up pretty quickly though, Melia. I'm sure I could teach you how to do a few of the easier moves." Shulk said.

Shulk walked her through what to do and leaned on his back wheels, "Just focus on keeping your balance."

He held tightly on to Melia's hand while she leaned on her back wheels, only letting go when he was sure she wouldn't fall.

"Now do a few short turns to keep your momentum going." Shulk instructed.

Melia wobbled a little bit but managed not to fall as she did what Shulk said to do. She set her wheels back on the floor to regain her balance before she fell again.

Shulk skated next to her and grinned, "Alright, want to try going backwards?"

"I don't know…" Melia said a bit sheepishly.

"Come on, it's not as hard as it sounds. Just gain some speed then spin yourself around. Here, watch me." He said.

Shulk took off ahead and looked over at Melia as he skated backwards, "Okay, your turn!"

Melia nervously hesitated for a second, then started to pick up speed.

"Alright, now spin yourself around!" Shulk told her.

She was still nervous and closed her eyes as she threw her arms over and turned around. She looked pretty surprised when she finally opened her eyes.

 _Hey… I did it! I didn't fall either!_

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Shulk called out to her.

Melia smiled and closed her eyes as she kept moving backwards, feeling relaxed and letting the small breeze fly through her hair. Her little moment was interrupted as she felt her back hitting something and a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She looked behind her and realized she bumped into Shulk.

"You still gotta watch where you're going, you know." Shulk chuckled.

Melia stayed wrapped in Shulk's arms and smiled at him. She placed her hand behind Shulk's ear and pulled him closer as they shared a soft, passionate kiss. They broke the kiss after a few seconds and Shulk gave her another hug from behind before he let her go. They skated a few more times around the rink and went to sit down, leaving the other three still in the rink.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Reyn." Sharla said.

"Yeah, me too. It's a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be!" Reyn said.

Reyn looked down at his skates and put on a weird smirk.

"What's up?" Sharla asked, noticing his expression.

"I think I just got an idea! I'll be right back!" Reyn exclaimed and hurried over to where Shulk and Melia were sitting.

"Yo, Shulk! Mind if I borrow your girlfriend for a minute?" Reyn asked.

"I'm not her keeper, Reyn. You can ask her yourself." Shulk replied.

"Melia!" Reyn quickly turned to her.

"That depends. I might want to hear what you need first, judging from that smirk on your face." Melia said.

"I wanted to try something out! How strong are your wind elementals? Strong enough to push a big guy like me?" Reyn asked.

"If you're asking for a sparring match, this isn't exactly the place for that." Melia protested.

"Nah, I'm good on that. I get enough of that training the rooks in the defense force. I wanted to see if they could make me move faster!" Reyn explained.

Shulk chuckled, "Think we should hear him out, Melia?"

"I suppose." She answered.

"Go ahead, Angel, I'll be right here." Shulk said.

Melia gave Shulk a quick kiss and followed Reyn back into the rink.

"Alright! Summon away, then follow behind me." Reyn instructed.

Melia focused and a wind elemental appeared over her head. She skated behind him once around the rink, only noticing a slight speed increase.

"It's a little bit faster, but we can do better than that! Summon three of them!" Reyn said eagerly.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Reyn?" Melia asked hesitantly.

"Would I ever steer you wrong, Melia?" Reyn asked.

"Do you want my honest answer?" She smirked.

"Just do it already." Reyn playfully shot back.

Melia closed her eyes and two more wind elementals appeared.

"Alright, I'm gonna go a little ahead, then you shoot 'em all at once behind me!" Reyn instructed.

Reyn skated a few feet forward and Melia shot them like he asked. He almost fell as he took off at insane speed with the elementals still behind him.

Reyn regained his balance and looked behind him as he blazed around the rink, "Now that's more like it! You watching this, Sharla?"

"Forget about _me_ , look in front of you!" Sharla yelled back and pointed.

Reyn looked back ahead and seen a group of people in front of him.

"Outta the way! Slow traffic to the side!" He yelled.

He barely missed them as they all jumped out of the way. They glared at Reyn as he flew past them, but he was already way ahead of them and laughing about it.

Reyn stopped laughing and opened his eyes, looking scared out of his mind seeing that he was about to hit a wall. He tried to steer out of the way but was going too fast and didn't have enough distance to dodge it.

"Man, this one's gonna tickle!" Reyn covered his face behind his arms and braced himself, slamming against the wall at top speed and hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Melia covered her mouth and was trying as hard as possible not to laugh, while Shulk was laughing so hard that he fell out of his seat and was in tears.

"Reyn! Are you okay?" Sharla hurried over and held out her hand.

Reyn didn't stand up right away, he moved his arms away from his face to show a giant grin, "Out of all the ideas I've had… That one. Has to be. The coolest one yet!"

Sharla let out a sigh and helped him up, "What am I going to do with you? You're lucky you're thick-headed."

"Well this thick-headed brute just had a genius idea! Just bear with me, Sharla! We'll get Melia to make more elementals and Shulk can build something to keep them on the back of people's skates. We could make a ton of these things and sell 'em, we'll be rich!" Reyn exclaimed.

"You must be delirious from that hard slam." Sharla giggled.

"I'm being serious here!" Reyn shot back.

"Okay, genius. We'll see." Sharla said.

Sharla made Reyn take a break to make sure he was okay. They met with the others and grabbed some food from the small café they had on the other end of the rink.

"I would've offered to pay for that, Melia. The defense force knows I'm working to stay at Reyn and Sharla's place, but they still pay me." Shulk said.

"It's okay, Shulk. You don't have to always spend your money on me, let me help too." Melia said stubbornly.

Reyn stopped scarfing down his food and looked up at Shulk, "Oh, I almost forgot. They really seem to like you there, Shulk. The boss wanted me to let you know that he'd hire you on the spot if you were looking for work."

"Really? Well, I'll keep his offer in mind, but…" Shulk reached for Melia's hand from under the table, "I might have other plans."

Melia beamed and looked over at Shulk with hearts in her eyes. After they finished eating, they turned in their skates and headed home.

Shulk and Melia changed and got ready for bed. Melia rolled over to Shulk's side and nuzzled against him.

"I had a lot of fun." Melia said.

"Yeah, me too." Shulk said.

"What you said earlier, about having other plans in mind, were you referring to what we talked about yesterday?" Melia asked.

"I was. I've been thinking about it a little more, but we can talk about that later on like we said we would, okay, Angel?" Shulk replied.

It wasn't exactly him saying yes to living together, but Melia still put on a smile from ear to ear. She nodded and threw her arms around Shulk.

"Okay. I love you, Boo." She mused.

"I love you too." Shulk blushed from hearing his pet name and hugged her back.

They kissed good night and went to sleep in each other's arms.

Three more days passed and everyone was woken up by loud noises coming from outside. Reyn and Sharla walked outside and looked around to see where it was coming from.

"Whatever woke us up better be important. You see anything, Sharla?" Reyn asked.

Sharla shook her head. She shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up to the sky.

"Wait, up there! Is that… Shulk, Melia, get up! Your guys' ship is back!" Sharla yelled.

Shulk and Melia were still in their pajamas as they came outside. Melia hurried ahead while Shulk was yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Shulk asked, still half asleep.

"She's right, Shulk! Look up, that's the transport ship!" Melia said and pointed upward.

Shulk flinched and put his hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright light. He jumped himself awake seeing the ship preparing to land outside the colony gate.

"Wait… it _is_ the ship! Come on, we need to hurry up and get ready!" Shulk exclaimed and rushed back into the house.

Everyone hurried back inside to change and pack up. There was a knock at the door shortly after and Melia ran downstairs to answer it.

"Empress! Sorry if we kept you waiting." The captain said and stood at attention.

"No, it's fine. I take it you're finished with your preparations?" Melia asked.

"Yes, we're here to take you to Eryth Sea." The captain replied.

Reyn walked up behind Melia, "Got enough room for a few more?"

"Yeah, we're coming too!" Sharla added and came to the front door.

"Are you sure about this? We couldn't ask for you to just drop everything because of Shulk and I." Melia asked.

"Are you crazy? We're not going to let you two run in there on your own." Sharla said back.

"Yeah, you thought we would just let you go off and have all the fun?" Reyn grinned.

"Riki will bash Dinobeast up good! Hiya! Crush-pow!" Riki exclaimed and punched the air.

"I see you have your minds made up. We have room for more and you're welcome to join if the empress is willing. We're docked just outside the colony gates, we'll wait for you all there." The captain said.

The rest of the guards followed behind the captain back to the ship. Shulk came downstairs a few minutes later and Melia filled him in that everyone else was ready and coming with them.

The five of them walked outside the colony and boarded the ship.

"This'll be just like old times!" Reyn said and leaned back in his seat.

Everyone went silent for a few moments, reminiscing on their long journey.

"Wait! Where Dundun and Fiora?" Riki suddenly realized.

"Are they already there, captain?" Shulk asked.

"I'm afraid not." He replied.

"We can't go without them!" Reyn protested.

"Agreed. Captain, may we take a short detour to Colony 9 before we depart for Eryth Sea?" Melia asked.

"Of course, empress." The captain replied.

Shortly after, the ship docked by the bridge into Colony 9. Everyone else hurried off while Shulk and Melia lagged behind.

"You guys go on ahead and get Dunban and Fiora. Melia and I are going to the lab." Shulk said.

They nodded and the group split up. Shulk and Melia walked towards the inside of the colony while the rest went to Dunban's house.

"Come on, let's get that driver." Shulk said and took her hand.

As they walked to the Military District, some people looked happy to see Shulk back and waved, a few others looked at the two with approving grins.

"They're staring at us, Shulk." Melia said.

"It's probably because of this." Shulk said and lifted up their held hands.

Melia blushed a little and lowered her head slightly, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone as they walked by.

"Since when do you act all shy? Wouldn't you be used to the attention since you're an empress?" Shulk asked.

"The attention isn't the problem, it's the reason for it." Melia said shyly.

Shulk smiled, "Let them stare. If they were in a relationship with someone like you I'm sure they'd be flaunting it around too. You might get all shy about it, but I'd gladly admit to anyone that you're my girlfriend."

Melia turned bright red and tried to hide her face.

Shulk couldn't help but laugh from how shy she was acting, "You can be so adorable sometimes. I love you, Melia."

"I love you too." Melia managed to squeak out.

Melia started to relax as they got to the bridge where less people were. She lifted her head back up and they stopped for a minute, leaning against the rails and checking out the changes made to the colony. The sun was reflecting off the lake, and all the new structures with improvements to older ones gave the colony a more modern look.

"It feels nice to be back home after so long." Shulk thought out loud.

He looked around the colony for a few more seconds then back to Melia. She went quiet and looked upset as her thoughts were traveling, thinking back to how Alcamoth used to be.

 _Damnit, you idiot!_

"I'm sorry, Melia. I didn't mean for it to sound that way." He quickly apologized.

Melia held up her hands in a reassuring way, "It's fine, Shulk. I know you meant nothing by it."

"Are you sure?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded, but Shulk could still see that look in her eyes.

"Don't lie to me, Angel. I can tell when you are." He said.

"How do you do that?" Melia asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Because I know you." Shulk answered.

Melia let out a sigh, "I just wish I could go back to Alcamoth and be able to say the same as you."

Shulk wrapped his arms around her and held her close, "You can still do that. We'll be going to Alcamoth very soon. We'll retake it and rebuild, and we'll do it together."

"Together." Melia mused and hugged him back.

They broke apart after another minute and Melia gave him a small smile, "Thank you, Shulk. I'm feeling a little better now."

"You're welcome. We should get moving before they start wondering what's taking us so long." He said.

Shulk pulled out his keys and unlocked the door to the lab. Reyn's driver was being held in place by vice grips next to the desk.

"How are we going to transport this without Reyn noticing?" Melia asked.

"I've got a case that should be big enough to hold this. We'll put it in there." Shulk replied.

Shulk loosened the vice grips and put Reyn's driver in the case. They quickly locked the lab back up and made their way back to the ship.

Fiora was grabbing the last of her things and walked out of her house to see Shulk and Melia about to board the ship. Sharla had explained to her that they were dating while they went to the lab, but to see them together made Fiora's heart feel like it sunk. She tried to shake it off and boarded the ship. Shulk and Melia seen her walking on and came up to her.

"Good to see you again, Fiora!" Shulk said and hugged her.

"Thank you for coming with us, Fiora. It means so much to me." Melia said.

"I couldn't just sit around while you guys had all the fun! You been keeping Shulk out of trouble, Melia?" Fiora replied.

"He's been on his best behavior." Melia jokingly said back.

They all sat back down and waited for the ship to take off.

"Oi, Shulk, what's with the case?" Reyn asked, seeing it by Shulk's feet.

"Oh, this? It's something I've been working on that I think will help in the fight." Shulk answered.

The ship took off and they arrived at the Ether Plant. On the ground floor underneath the windmills was a small base camp, along with other structures including a headquarters and barracks with a canteen. Both soldiers and refugees were seen scattered around the entirety of the camp.

The captain, a few guards, and Shulk and his friends went into the headquarters to be briefed on the assault.

"Empress, are you sure that having you on the battlefield is the best course of action? We've already lost so much, losing our leader could be a fatal blow to the High Entia." The captain advised.

"I appreciate your concern, but it is not necessary. I am able to handle myself in combat and I also have my friends with me to ensure my protection." Melia assured him.

"That is true, but I had other plans for your friends." The captain said.

Mixed expressions of worry and confusion were on their faces, while Melia remained calm and level-headed.

"Very well. Let us hear your plan, then we can decide from there." Melia said.

A guard laid a map of Alcamoth on the table and the captain pointed to various areas on it.

"Instead of having an elite team of six guarding the empress, I propose we divide your friends among our squads to bolster our forces. With how big Alcamoth is, splitting them into our ranks will help us secure more ground faster. If we did that, we estimate that we'll take back Alcamoth within two days. On the first day, we will secure the first floor and nearby districts. On the second day, we will move up to the second floor and reclaim the palace." The captain explained.

"That's not a bad idea." Dunban said and put his hand to his chin, anxiously waiting to hear his plan now.

"Fine by me." Reyn said and crossed his arms.

"Heropon will go where needed!" Riki jumped in his seat.

The rest simply nodded in agreement.

The captain seen they were all on the same page now and continued discussing his plan, "Sharla, I want you close to the frontlines to provide emergency treatment, should it be needed."

"Okay." Sharla replied.

The captain pointed to the north side of Alcamoth, "There is a transporter on the north side of the first floor, this leads to what was once our commercial district. Reyn, Riki, I want you two there to clear the Telethia and secure it."

"I gotta fight with the fur ball?" Reyn pouted, "Hmph, fine. You better not slow me down."

"Reyn is the slow one, and in more ways than one." Riki shot back.

"What was that?" Reyn stood up and walked towards Riki.

"Cool it, you two." Sharla snapped.

Reyn sat back down and the captain went on. He pointed to the southeast side now.

"The transporter on the southeast leads to the residential districts. Given Dunban's previous military experience, I think he would be best suited for this. He will know what to do if say we find civilians hiding from the Telethia or if there was some other crisis. This is a big responsibility for one person to take on, so having someone else come with you is recommended, Dunban." The captain advised.

"I'll go." Fiora spoke up.

Dunban looked worried as he turned to face her, "Fiora, are you sure?"

"Yes, I want to help too. Just imagining if there was someone separated from their family, I couldn't stand to see that." Fiora said.

Her words made Dunban think back to what happened to their mother in Colony 9. He let out a sigh and leaned his arms on the table.

"I became a soldier to try and spare you that hardship. But if you're set on going, then I won't stop you." Dunban said, a hint of gloom in his voice.

The captain paused for a moment then pointed towards areas around the center, "There's one more thing. Telethia that have been acting abnormal or that are stronger than the others have been reported around the center of the first floor. It may sound hypocritical of me after trying to keep her out of harm's way, but the empress will be there to assist in taking down those targets. This is one of the most dangerous tasks, but I was personally responsible for the empress' combat training and can say for certain that she's a prodigy when it comes to ether-based combat. And, as a safety measure, another group of soldiers and Shulk will be with her. I know about Shulk's visions, he should be able to keep the empress safe with that. Also, if any of you finish your tasks and are looking to keep yourselves busy, then join the squad in the center."

Shulk and Melia looked at each other, he gave her a small smile then looked back at the captain and nodded in agreement.

"I'd expect no less from someone of your position. We'll proceed with your plan." Melia said.

The captain bowed, "Thank you, empress." He said and stood upright, "Alright, you all have your assignments and the soldiers outside know what squad they belong to. Get your gear ready, and take one of these with you."

The guard came back over and put a wooden box on the table full of flare guns and extra flares.

"When you've finished your assignments, fire a flare before you head back." The captain said.

Everyone took a flare gun and spare flares then left to prepare.

Shulk found Melia sitting close to the edge of the hovering reef looking out at the water.

He sat down next to her, "Nervous at all?"

"No, I feel fine, actually. The captain knows what he's doing. His plan was laid out so well that I don't have much to feel worried about. Besides, I'll have you with me." Melia felt some color reach her cheeks with that last comment she made.

Shulk held her hand, "I'll make sure nothing happens to you. It must be hard to do something like this knowing who the Telethia used to be. If you ever feel like you can't take it or if something is wrong, let me know, okay?"

"It may be hard, but they need to be put out of their misery. It's the least we could do for them. You don't need to worry so much about me, Shulk. I'll be okay." Melia assured him.

Shulk nodded, "Okay, I have to go finish getting ready. I love you."

"I love you too." Melia said back.

They shared a kiss before Shulk left. With everyone prepared, they stood outside the Center Gate transporter to take them into the city.

Melia stood in front and addressed the soldiers, "Those of you here that are not High Entia, words cannot begin to express our gratitude for your sacrifice. Having all of you here shows that even though we have vast differences between our races, there is nothing that can't be overcome if we work together! We may have different labels for ourselves: Nopon, Homs, High Entia, Machina, but before any of that, we are all people of this new world! No matter the enemy, no matter how small the chances are, this is our home and we will fight to protect it!"

The other races started to applaud and cheer, Melia had to raise her voice to speak over them.

"My fellow High Entia, we all thought this was our fate and that it would eventually come. However, my journey across both the Bionis and Mechonis has shown me something. It's shown me that the future is _not_ set in stone! The future is ours to decide, and this battle will prove that to you all! This was once our home, we took so much pride in what we had achieved here, we will not let the Telethia take that from us!"

The High Entia soldiers joined in the cheering.

Melia raised her staff, "We will take back what is rightfully ours, and we will carve our own futures! Everyone, advance!"

Feeling like they were ready to take on anything, everyone raised their weapons and let out a battle cry as they rushed into the transporter. One after another, Telethia started to fall and the lower courtyard was cleared after a few hours.

"This area is secure! Those of you that have business in the districts beyond the transporters are clear to advance!" An officer shouted.

"That means us, fur ball! Let's move!" Reyn shouted to Riki.

"Aye Aye!" Riki said and bounced over to Reyn.

"Last chance if you want to change your mind, Fiora." Dunban warned.

"I have no plans to turn back after all this, let's go!" Fiora said.

They all passed through their respective transporters and began their missions. Shulk, Melia, and the rest of the soldiers that didn't go stayed behind to make a base camp near the center.

Reyn and Riki were the first to finish. They shot their flares and headed back to the camp. They both brought back a trophy from an abnormal Telethia they had to fight, it seemed to have some level of sentience and didn't fade into ether like they normally would.

"Riki make good armor out of this! Everyone will know Riki as the slayer of Dinobeast!" Riki said, sounding pretty enthusiastic about the scraps he picked up.

"Haha, do what you want, fur ball. I'll see if Shulk can make me a new weapon out of what I got." Reyn said, he had a few scales from the Telethia in his hand.

Dunban and Fiora shot their flares off shortly after Reyn and Riki made it back to camp. They had a group of civilians with them as they came out of their transporter.

"To find this many people hiding among all the Telethia, it's incredible!" Dunban said.

"I wasn't expecting there to be this many people. Hopefully now they can be reunited with their families." Fiora added.

Everyone met up at the base camp, grinning and looking pleased with the progress they already made in the recapture.

Suddenly, a loud roar was heard in the distance and a large shadow traced across the courtyard floor.

"Eyes forward! Gigas-type Telethia landing in the courtyard!" The captain yelled.

Everyone else but Melia stood with their weapons drawn as the Cerberus-like Telethia landed. Even compared to the other Telethia this one was monstrous, having three heads and two tails, and much bigger than most Telethia they've fought.

Melia was still hesitating as everyone prepared for a fight.

 _This Telethia's ether pattern… I know you… you're Yumea!_

Melia suddenly snapped. She ran ahead of the others and attacked the Telethia on her own, shooting elementals as fast as she could summon them.

"You would have attacked me even if you weren't a Telethia, wouldn't you?" Melia snarled.

The others rushed into the fight but kept their distance from Melia to avoid cross-fire.

"Melia, calm down!" Sharla yelled and shot a Shield Bullet on her to protect her.

"You're gonna really piss this thing off if you don't quit it!" Reyn shouted and tried to get the Telethia's attention.

Shulk was doing what he could to help but listened carefully to what Melia was saying.

Melia wasn't slowing down her barrage of elementals, "Since you were Kallian and Tyrea's mother, I thought I could look to you to be a mother figure for me after my birth mother died. You were under no obligation to do that, but was acting like a decent human being too much to ask of you?! You've always had a high resentment towards me, even tried to kill me, and for what? Because you didn't agree with me ascending to the throne since I'm half-blooded? My heritage was _that much_ of an issue to you? You believed so strongly in your ignorant and xenophobic ideology that you thought it was justified to _kill someone?_ You're a disgrace, Yumea, to both the High Entia _and_ as a mother!"

Light started to leave Melia's eyes as her last two elementals hung overhead, "Maybe you becoming a Telethia was a blessing in disguise, it certainly suits that twisted personality of yours better!" She yelled and shot her last two elementals.

The Telethia let out an injured cry and took a step back from the impact. Element Burst activated and surrounded Melia in a glow of ether, but she was forced to stop her attacks. She was already exhausted but would risk falling unconscious from ether deficiency if she kept going.

"She stopped, move in!" Dunban shouted.

They all rushed in to keep the attention off of Melia, her glare was still locked onto Yumea while she waited to recover.

Melia waited until she could summon three bolt elementals. She gritted her teeth and slowly walked closer to the fight.

"Your reckoning is at hand, Yumea!" She yelled and raised her staff.

Shulk's eyes started to glow and a vision played in front of him. He seen Melia using Burst End and the Telethia absorbing the huge discharge of ether from it and anywhere around to self-destruct.

 _This Telethia- No, Yumea, was willing to go this far to try and hurt her?_

"Melia, look out!" Shulk yelled and ran to the Telethia's side.

He jumped up and a green light pulsed from the Monado, "I've almost lost someone once already, I won't let it happen again. Monado Purge!"

Shulk swung his sword and a green arc of light followed behind it. The blast of ether from Melia's Burst End and Shulk's Monado Purge hit Yumea at the same time, making the Telethia cry out and fall to the earth, too exhausted to even stand.

"Hit it with everything you've got, Melia!" Shulk yelled.

"Goodbye, Yumea… goodbye, and good riddance!" Melia yelled and shot all three of her elementals. They went in different directions, each of them hitting one of the Telethia's heads.

The Telethia let out one last defiant cry and dispersed into ether. Melia fell to her knees the second she seen the Telethia fading away. She was shaking badly and panting heavily, almost sounding like she was growling.

"Melia!" Shulk ran over to her, throwing the Monado to the ground and held her in a tight embrace.

Melia wasn't even paying attention to anything going on around her. Light started to return to her eyes and she slowly wrapped her arms around Shulk.

"Shulk… I'm sorry… I…" She couldn't bring herself to say any more. Her voice was breaking, and she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"Shh. It's okay, it's over now." Shulk lowered his voice and rubbed her back.

Everyone else gave the two some space.

"The poor girl, how could she keep something like that bottled up for so long?" Fiora asked.

"She's always been that way, always keeping quiet about her problems and putting others before herself. I just wish she would open up more." Sharla added.

"Melia, please, don't keep how you're feeling hidden from us. We don't ever want to see you like that again. I don't expect you to change that overnight, but please try and be more open with us. We're here for you, or you can always talk to me." Shulk pleaded.

"Okay… I'll try." Melia said.

Shulk kissed her forehead and they held each other close for another minute before helping Melia to her feet.

"You okay to move?" Shulk asked.

"I think so." Melia answered.

Physically she was feeling better, but mentally she was still feeling a little distraught. Any interaction she had with Yumea was playing over and over again in her head.

She was snapped out of it by something clinging to her leg.

"C-could you help me? I can't find my mom."

 _A child? He was with the group of people Dunban and Fiora brought back, wasn't he?_

"I know you. You're Miriall's son, Teelan." Melia said.

"You seem to know everyone here." Shulk said.

"I do. They are my subjects, after all." Melia answered.

"Subjects? What do you mean?" Teelan asked.

Melia knelt down and gave him a warm smile, "This is your first time seeing me without that mask, isn't it? My name is Melia, I'm the empress."

Teelan's eyes grew wide and lit up, "Wow, _you're_ the empress?! You're even prettier than everyone says you are!"

"A charmer, aren't you?" Melia laughed and picked him up, "I know where your mother is, I'll take you to her."

"Oh, Melia. We almost forgot the flare." Shulk spoke up.

"Oh, right. Cover your ears, Teelan." Melia said.

He did what he was told, and Melia shot a flare up into the sky.

Everyone else followed behind Melia to the Ether Plant. Her and Teelan were getting along pretty well the entire way there.

"I never knew you were so good with kids." Shulk commented.

"I've always been." Melia said back. She looked at Teelan, then smiled and stared off into space. Melia had always been patient with kids and thought back to times she had to watch them. With how well she remembered those times went, she started to wonder what it would be like if her and Shulk-

"I've seen that look on your face before, Melia. What's up?" Shulk interrupted her train of thought.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, Shulk." She said back.

Back at the Ether Plant, Miriall ran over to the group seeing Melia holding her son.

"Teelan, thank goodness you're safe!" Miriall cried.

Melia handed Teelan over to Miriall.

"What do you say to them?" Miriall told her son.

"Thank you, Melia! Thank you, Melia's boyfriend!" Teelan said innocently.

Shulk turned red and everyone else laughed.

"He's so adorable!" Sharla said and patted Teelan's head.

"Definitely not afraid to speak his mind either." Fiora added.

It was starting to get dark and they all went to their barracks. Melia heard a knock at her door and seen it was Shulk.

"What is it, Shulk?" She asked.

"I was planning to finish that driver tonight. They built a forge here that looks like it has all the tools my lab would've had. I just came by to see if you wanted to come with me." Shulk said.

Melia agreed and they went to Shulk's room to grab the case, then headed to the forge.

Shulk opened the case and started to work while Melia watched. She was learning a few things from going with Shulk before, so she was asking a bunch of questions and made suggestions at times.

"Oh, Melia. Reyn gave me these a while ago. I don't know much about the Telethia, so I'm not sure what they could do or how to work with them. Would you know if we can use these for anything?" Shulk asked and took the Telethia scales out of his pocket.

"Scales? Well, by their very nature, Telethia are drawn towards ether and can absorb it. With that being said, you could probably use these for ether absorption." Melia suggested.

"Hey, that's a pretty good idea! Reyn's a big guy so physical attacks aren't much of an issue, but ether is actually something he isn't strong against. An ether barrier would be just what he needs!" Shulk praised.

Shulk kissed Melia's forehead and went back to work while she instructed him on what to do and where to place the scales.

"I think that should do it!" Shulk said after a few hours of working on it.

"It looks great, Shulk! Reyn is going to love it!" Melia said.

"It's because of you too, Melia. This driver wouldn't have been anywhere near as good without your help." Shulk added.

"I just learned from watching you, that's all." She said modestly.

Shulk pulled her closer and gave her a soft, tender kiss.

"I still say that you had a big part in it. Either from just sitting with me or actually working on it yourself. So, thank you, Angel." Shulk praised.

Melia buried her face in his chest and hugged him, "You're welcome." She finally admitted.

They put the driver back in the case and walked back to their barracks.

"I'm so tired." Melia said and let out a yawn as they came up to her room.

Shulk took a few steps into her room then stopped, "Oh, right. Different rooms now." He said and walked back out.

"I know. Even with the decrease in numbers, High Entia still go by their more traditional values. One of them being that couples shouldn't sleep in the same bed until marriage, or in our case, a consort." Melia explained.

"Yeah, it's going to take a minute to adjust." Shulk said and gave a small laugh.

"I know, it will be the same for me as well. We've slept together since we were back in Valak Mountain, so I grew accustomed to it." Melia admitted.

Shulk suddenly put on a mischievous grin, "Well, if you want, I could stay here. No one is around to see."

Melia was seriously considering it and even bit her lip at the thought of having some time alone with him, but she shook her head, "No, that's okay, Shulk. I liked it better when I could have you next to me, but I'll be fine for a while. We shouldn't risk it in case anyone sees us."

Shulk nodded, "You're right. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night."

They kissed good night and went to their own rooms. It took slightly longer for them to go to bed since they weren't used to the change yet, but soon went to sleep.


	9. What Lies Ahead

The next morning, everyone awoke and met at the canteen for breakfast.

"This'll be a cinch! With how well it went yesterday, we'll take this place back in no time!" Reyn said as he scarfed down his food.

"It's not over till it's over, Reyn." Dunban commented.

Melia nodded, "Right. The second floor of Alcamoth might not be as big, but we should be prepared for anything."

"Speaking of which, are you sure you're ready for this, Melia? With what happened yesterday…" Fiora hesitated, thinking of a way to put it gently.

"I'll be okay. I promise I won't let my emotions get the better of me this time. I appreciate your concern though, Fiora." Melia assured her.

"We won't prod the subject any further, but you weren't in the wrong for how you reacted, Melia. We just want to make sure you're okay." Dunban said.

Melia only gave a small nod and they went back to their food.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Reyn, I have something for you after we get the next briefing. Remind me when we're done with that." Shulk said.

They finished eating and left for the headquarters. The captain was already there and waiting for them, but he had this uneasy vibe about him as he went over the plan.

"This will sound like a much easier task than what I had you do yesterday. A small brigade will focus on the outer areas of the second floor while we move up to the palace. Once the main hall is cleared, we will be going in different directions. The soldiers and I will split into two groups and clear the wings, while the seven of you will stay in your own group and ascend to the upper levels of the palace."

"What did I tell you guys? This'll be a breeze!" Reyn said.

"And that's precisely why we're on edge. It sounds too easy and straightforward." Dunban pointed out.

"Yeah, the way you talked hinted at that too, captain. You also said it 'sounds like' not that it 'will be'." Shulk said.

"Good eye to detail, Shulk." The captain praised, "I worded it that way because even _I_ have my doubts about this. The Telethia on the second floor have been acting very strange lately. Some of them would act completely docile and ignore our scouts, even if they were spotted or within range of them. Other times they would go into a frenzy when they weren't being provoked and attack anything in sight, even other Telethia. The scouts also mentioned that these strange circumstances got more frequent the closer they got to the palace, so I ordered them not to go inside. We don't have much intel on the inside of the palace because of this, but I didn't want to risk the lives of our scouts or soldiers."

"So, quite literally, anything could happen." Dunban concluded.

"Correct. They could act like the Telethia we consider 'normal' and attack us on sight, completely ignore us, or just start killing each other for any reason, if one at all. We have no way of knowing what will happen." The captain stated.

"If the opportunity presents itself, should we study their habits? Doing so might help us understand the reason for their strange behavior." Melia asked.

"Do so only if the opportunity is available or if you deem it necessary. However, clearing the palace of the Telethia should be given top priority." The captain replied.

The briefing ended shortly after and Reyn placed a hand on Shulk's shoulder as they left the headquarters.

"Yo, Shulk, you said to remind you afterwards that you had something for me?" Reyn asked.

"Oh, right. Meet me by the windmills in five minutes, I'll be right back with it." Shulk said.

Shulk hurried to catch up with Melia and asked for her to come with him when he gave the driver to Reyn. Melia agreed, and they ran to Shulk's room to grab the case before meeting up at the windmill.

"Alright, Shulk, what is it? Must be something big if you're running all over the place about it." Reyn said and crossed his arms.

Shulk looked over at Melia and smiled, she smiled back and held up the case.

Reyn looked confused and scratched his head, "I don't get it. You said there was a weapon design or something in that case that would help in the fight. What's that gotta do with me?"

"I did say that, but I never said _who_ it would help. Open it up and see for yourself." Shulk replied.

Reyn looked interested now and opened the case. Inside was an orange and white lance with the Telethia Scales decorated around the shield, along with two more scales by the pointed edge, one on each side.

"Whoa… this thing looks awesome! You made this for me, Shulk?" Reyn went to touch the new lance and a faint blue light started pulsing from the scales, covering the shield in it's glow as well.

Reyn jumped back in surprise, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Calm down, Reyn. It's just the scales you brought me." Shulk chuckled.

"We added them onto the weapon after you gave them to Shulk. They react to surrounding ether and enhance your shield with ether defensive capabilities." Melia explained.

Reyn picked up the driver and gave it a few practice swings.

"Easy where you swing that thing, Reyn. I don't want the first person you use it on to be me." Shulk joked.

"Oh, my bad. I'm just so hyped! You've really outdone yourself with this one, Shulk!" Reyn exclaimed as he continued to swing the driver around.

"Actually, Melia did most of the work. She helped build a good portion of it and using the scales to make an ether shield was her idea, all I did was put it together." Shulk said.

Reyn stopped swinging his new weapon and looked in astonishment at Melia, "You're the one who made this?"

"Not all of it. Shulk still helped and there were other parts he was solely responsible for." Melia said modestly.

Reyn threw an arm around both of their necks and pulled them under his shoulders, "Whichever one of you worked on what isn't a big deal. You both still made this, and I think it's awesome! Thanks, you guys, I love it!"

Reyn took another glance at his new weapon and beamed. He ran off to test it out on a combat dummy before they left.

Shulk put an arm over Melia and they watched him go.

"Looks like he's happy with it." Shulk chuckled.

"It seems so. I'm glad he likes it." Melia said.

"I am too. We make a great team, don't we?" Shulk commented.

"We do." Melia said back. She smiled and gave Shulk a hug.

Shulk cupped his hand under Melia's chin and lifted her head up. They shared a tender kiss, then went back to their barracks to prepare for the next assault.

With everything ready, they marched back in to Alcamoth in one giant formation and climbed to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, squads started to split from the formation to clear the outer areas while everyone else headed towards the palace.

Two Telethia were standing by the entrance to the palace, one on each side of the doorway, but they didn't do anything as the group moved closer.

"What's up with these two?" Reyn asked.

"They must be Telethia that have been acting abnormally. These two would have attacked us by now, but they're still standing there." The captain answered.

The captain found broken pieces of stone on the ground and threw it near the Telethia. They looked in the direction the stone landed, but the Telethia wouldn't leave their posts and looked back ahead.

"See? They still acknowledge everything around them, but they remain completely passive." The captain said.

Riki moved closer to the Telethia.

"Kyapow!" He yelled and threw a fake punch to see if they would flinch.

The Telethia still wouldn't move nor show any aggression towards Riki as he tried anything he could think of to make them attack.

Riki grinned and danced in front of the Telethia, "This fun! No matter what Riki do, Dinobeasts not do anything!"

"The Imperial Guards were trained to stand idle outside the palace, just like these Telethia are doing…" Melia said.

"These two may have been Imperial Guards before they transformed. But if they're acting like they normally would, does that mean they might have sentience?" Shulk asked.

"It's a possibility." Melia replied.

"What do you propose we do with them, empress? If they won't attack, we can easily strike them down or simply move past them." The captain asked.

"Let us leave them alone and walk past. I want to see if they react at all once we are inside the palace." Melia answered.

The captain nodded and they all slowly started to walk past the Telethia Guards. Everyone froze in their tracks as the Telethia turned their heads and stared them down, but they still wouldn't attack.

Everyone continued walking and the Telethia turned their attention back to the front as the group entered the main hall.

"This is really creeping me out." Reyn said.

"I agree, it's like they wanted us to come in here." Dunban added.

Inside the main hall, Telethia were stationed around the pillars and walked in groups through the halls leading to the other wings.

"More Telethia acting like Imperial Guards… even their patrol layout is identical." The captain muttered.

The captain looked over to the right side and seen more Telethia staring them down. They had a glare that was different from the two Telethia guarding the front door. The captain returned the look and slowly reached for his sword.

The Telethia seen his hand clenched around his sword and ran in to attack.

"Incoming, right side!" The captain yelled and everyone drew their weapons.

Reyn, Riki, and Dunban heard shrieking from behind them and turned around, seeing the two Telethia standing guard out front rushing in to the fight.

"Friends, behind us! Friendly Dinobeasts not friendly anymore!" Riki cried.

"Reyn, you take one and I'll handle the other!" Dunban ordered.

While Reyn and Dunban kept the other two away from the fight, the captain kept the other Telethia's attention on him while the rest of the group focused them down. After the first group of Telethia was dealt with, everyone hurried over to help Reyn and Dunban.

The Telethia dispersed into ether and everyone paused to catch their breath.

"They vanish like normal Telethia, but the way they were acting definitely wasn't normal!" Reyn said.

"They didn't attack until they seen me reach for my sword. They must have thought we posed a threat, but why did the two out front join in?" The captain asked.

"They are acting as if they still have some level of sentience. Perhaps they somehow knew each other and wanted to protect them after we attacked." Melia thought out loud.

The group continued moving forward and came to the fork between the wings. Standing in front of them, leading to the stairs to continue upwards, was a large group of Telethia with an Asara in the back.

The Asara turned around and began to drain ether from the fountain behind it's group. As it drained the ether, the scales on Reyn's new driver began to emit that faint blue pulse from earlier.

"Hey, guys, check this out." Reyn said and called them over to look.

Seconds after they gathered around, they jumped from hearing a loud shriek behind them. They turned around and seen the rest of the Telethia ganging up on the Asara. They knocked it out of the air and continued to attack while it was down.

"What the hell is wrong with these guys? Ain't they on the same team?" Reyn asked.

"I warned you about that, didn't I? We can worry about it later, we should deal with them for now." The captain said.

"Right, this could work in our favor with them distracted." Dunban said.

They all drew their weapons and charged. The Telethia were so fixated on the Asara that they didn't fight back as everyone attacked, making themselves easy targets. They were quickly eliminated and the group talked amongst themselves while the captain assigned soldiers to different groups.

"Telethia's very nature revolves around ether. They must have reacted to the Asara absorbing it from the fountain." Melia said.

"Now that you mention it, your weapon started to pulse and made a blue light during the absorption process, Reyn." Dunban added.

"Those scales did come from a Telethia, after all. Melia and I noticed it reacts to nearby ether as well." Shulk said.

"Maybe we can use that as an indicator for something ether-related is about to happen." Melia suggested.

Reyn stared blankly for a moment, then looked surprised as he came to a realization, "Are you telling me this thing can pretty much see the future like Shulk can?!"

Shulk chuckled, "It's a little different from my visions, Reyn. You don't actually see something before it happens like I do, it only pulses, and the pulse changes depending on the amount of ether being used. Think of it like a warning; Like if someone were to attack us with ether, your shield would pulse before it happens and you could use the scales to absorb it."

"Oh. Well either way, that's still awesome!" Reyn said, not sounding too phased from Shulk's comment.

The captain came over to them, "We're ready to move when you are."

Everyone nodded and the captain faced the soldiers, "Those with me will clear the left wing and the Imperial Villa, the rest of you will take the right wing!"

The three groups then split. Shulk, Melia, and their friends eliminated the few remaining Telethia up the flight of stairs and approached the transporter.

Melia was hesitating as they all passed through, Shulk noticed and stayed behind to check on her.

"Do you need to rest, Melia?" He asked.

"No, I am fine. I just have an ominous feeling about this." Melia answered.

Shulk took her hand and gave it a small squeeze, "Whether you decide to go or not, I'll be right there with you, Melia."

Melia squeezed his hand a little tighter, "I'm not leaving, Shulk. We've been through so much to get here, I can't just abandon that now! The High Entia may be smaller in number, but I'm still their empress. It's my duty to ensure their prosperity."

Shulk leaned closer and kissed her forehead, "That's my girl. You'll be one of the best rulers the High Entia ever had, I know it. I'll be right there next to you to see that happen when this is over."

Even with the uneasy feeling she had, something about being called his girl put a smile on Melia's face, "I know you will. We promised to see the rebuilding of Alcamoth together."

"I don't think you understood what I meant." Shulk said.

"What do you mean, Shulk?" She asked.

"I said I would be there to watch you lead the High Entia, not just for the reconstruction. Don't you remember what we talked about in Colony 6?"

"You're saying… you'll stay here in Alcamoth?" Melia's wings lifted up from surprise and started flapping.

That grin Shulk loved to use was written all over his face, "I told you that I'd be open to the idea after this was over, didn't I? Well, I made up my mind. If it's still okay with you, then yes, I'll stay here with you."

"Shulk…" Melia felt such a wave of joy running through her that she felt like she might cry. She threw her arms around Shulk and hugged him tightly, "Yes! Of course I would want you to stay!"

Melia pulled Shulk down to her level and they shared a deep, passionate kiss. Shulk broke the kiss and looked into her eyes as he caressed her cheek.

"I love you, Melia." He mused.

"I love you too, Shulk! I love you so much!" Melia cried.

Shulk smiled and put his hands in his coat pockets as he turned towards the transporter.

"Everyone's waiting on us, and so is that future we planned on having together. Are you ready?" Shulk asked. He looked over at Melia and took one hand out of his pocket, holding it out in front of her.

Melia took his hand, "I'm more than ready. Let's not keep either of them waiting any longer."


	10. Unbreakable Bonds

**A/N: Events in this chapter take place as if they happened post-game.  
**

Hand in hand, Shulk and Melia walked through the transporter.

"Took you two long enough. We were about to turn back and see what the hold up was." Reyn said as they came over.

"Sorry about that. Everything's fine now." Shulk assured everyone. He walked to the front of the group and lead them further into the palace.

Melia was walking slower than the others and started to fall behind as they all headed to the Audience Chamber. She was blushing and couldn't help but smile as she stared off into space. Shulk agreeing to stay with her in Alcamoth was still fresh in her mind and she lost herself fantasizing what it would be like living together.

"Earth to Melia, can you hear us?"

Melia snapped out of her daydreaming and looked over. Fiora was walking beside her, matching her slow stride and trying to get her attention.

"Hm? Oh, sorry." Melia said.

"You don't have to apologize." Fiora laughed, "I just wanted to check up on you. You started falling behind and went quiet, but judging from the look on your face, I was worrying about nothing."

"I just had an unsettling feeling before we passed through the transporter, but Shulk stopped for me and helped set my mind at ease. Other than that one instance, I've felt okay… more than okay, actually." Melia said and started to smile.

Fiora returned the smile, "That's just the kind of person Shulk is. Even after everything that happened, it's nice to see that part of him hasn't changed."

Everything went quiet as they stayed behind the group, awkwardly quiet.

"I'm glad you two have each other." Fiora said softly and broke the silence.

Melia looked at her, slightly surprised, "You know about us?"

"Sharla told me about it back at Colony 9 when you guys weren't around. I probably would have figured that out sooner or later, you two have been pretty close since you left for Valak Mountain." Fiora replied.

"Shulk also told me how you felt about each other before your home was invaded by the Mechon. I was worried that you would have had a grudge towards me after we confessed our feelings for each other, and we didn't show much public affection because we didn't want you to feel uncomfortable. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for how things turned out for you, Fiora." Melia said. Her expression changed and she started to look upset.

Fiora put her arm over Melia's shoulder, "Don't be. You have nothing to feel bad about or apologize for. Shulk already told me that he doesn't feel that way anymore after he found me on the Fallen Arm."

"He did?" Melia gawked.

Fiora nodded, "Yes. Neither of us could have known that I would come back after the attack on Colony 9. It was only right that he would have moved on eventually, and I would have wanted him to."

"Fiora…" Melia put her arm around Fiora to try and comfort her.

Fiora smiled then, "He did say that he found someone else, but he wouldn't tell me who it was. I'm glad it was someone like you, Melia. It might be too late for Shulk and I to be together, but I know you'll be able to make him happy. I'm not mad at either of you, so don't worry about me."

Melia was left speechless. For Fiora to act this way despite everything she went through… it was admirable.

Melia wrapped her arms around Fiora and hugged her, "Thank you, Fiora. I promise I'll take care of him and make sure he's happy."

Fiora hugged her back, "That's all I could ask for. As long as Shulk's happy, then I'm happy. Come on, we don't want to fall behind."

Melia nodded and they walked faster to catch up with the others. As they approached the entrance to the Audience Chamber, a group of eight Telethia were standing guard. One of the Telethia stood in front of the approaching group and held up his arm, the other seven Telethia then formed a horizontal line behind him like they were making a wall.

"Looks like they won't let us pass." Dunban said and readied himself for a fight.

"Eliminate them." A female voice was heard echoing through the room.

They weren't given a chance to think about who's voice that was as the Telethia charged forward and attacked just seconds after. It was no easy task to take on eight at once, but they miraculously prevailed.

"Is everyone all right?" Shulk asked, he looked around at everyone as he caught his breath.

"Reyn and I have been better." Dunban admitted. He and Reyn were sitting next to each other and tended to their wounds.

"Heropon make ouchies better!" Riki said and bounced over.

Riki took a deep breath and exhaled, surrounding the two in a cool and soothing mist. Reyn and Dunban basked in the mist for a few moments before getting to their feet.

"Dundun and Reyn can thank Riki now!" Riki said.

"Fine. We are forever in your debt, Riki, the strongest of all Nopon." Dunban sarcastically thanked him.

"Did anyone recognize that voice from earlier? The one that told them to attack?" Fiora asked.

Melia looked like something was weighing heavily on her mind while the others thought it over.

"I know whose voice that was. It was Lorithia." Melia spoke up.

"Lorithia?" Shulk gawked.

"As in Zanza's old disciple?" Reyn asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Melia answered.

"Of all the places she could have shown up. She's got some nerve." Sharla growled.

Everything around Melia went mute as she thought back to the things Lorithia did. While everyone was busy speculating if that voice was really her, Melia turned on her heel and headed towards the throne with a dangerous glare on her face.

Shulk stood in her way and held her so tight that she couldn't move.

"It's going to be okay, Melia." He whispered softly.

Melia didn't try to fight back against his grip. Her glare slowly faded away and she took a shaky breath as she hugged him back.

"But she's done so many horrible things, Shulk…" Melia quietly said back.

"I know. She's going to answer for that, but I don't want you to have another outburst and risk getting hurt. Please, try to calm down before we go any further." Shulk pleaded.

Melia closed her eyes and buried her face in Shulk's chest, taking a few deep breaths while he rubbed her back. After a few minutes, Melia lifted her head and looked back to the others.

"I'm sorry to make you all wait on me. I'm fine now." She said.

"We're not in any rush, Melia. You can take as much time as you need." Sharla said as everyone stood up.

"We need you for this, Melia. Are you absolutely sure you're ready?" Fiora asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Melia answered.

"Alright, let's get princess back on the throne." Reyn said.

They moved onwards and found an empty throne. Footsteps were heard in the room nearby and sounded like they were getting louder. Everyone turned their heads in the direction the sound was coming from to see a female High Entia plodding towards the throne.

"Lorithia…" Melia growled and gripped her staff. She wanted to instantly lash out at Lorithia, but Melia remembered how worried she made everyone with her last outburst and she restrained herself.

Lorithia looked over at the group as she approached the throne. They all glared and looked ready for a fight, but Lorithia was focused more on Melia, noticing her expression was the most intense out of the others.

Lorithia returned Melia's stare with a smug grin, "Well well well, to what do I owe the honor of having royalty visiting my home?"

"This is _my_ home, Lorithia, you're fully aware of that." Melia shot back.

" _Was_ your home." Lorithia sharply cut her off and sat at the throne.

"Why would you even show your face here? What do you gain from any of this now that Zanza is gone?" Reyn demanded.

"Zanza's ideology and mine differ greatly, so there's no need to compare us." Lorithia said.

"Care to explain how?" Dunban asked.

"Zanza was obsessed with creating what he perceived to be a perfect world, however, he was bound to a continuous cycle of destruction and rebirth. As I'm sure you are all aware, Zanza needed the people of Bionis to sustain his own life. He began to fear that his creations would eventually leave him and he would not be able to regain their ether, so he was forced to repeatedly destroy and regenerate everything he made. It's quite sad, really, all that progress made just to be forced to start again, but those restrictions do not apply to me. The Bionis no longer exists, nor do I plan to become a god. What I'm aiming for is not destruction or creating a 'perfect' world like Zanza, but domination of this new world you all have built." Lorithia explained.

"And you think we would just sit idly by and let you? What makes you think you have any chances of achieving that?" Dunban asked.

"I have control over the most advanced civilization currently known on this new world, and an army of Telethia to act as my military might. I would say I'm doing quite well so far." Lorithia replied, sounding quite confident in her answer.

"Have you seen your so called 'army' lately? They don't exactly act like they're under your control." Reyn shot back.

"Ah, yes. It's common for High Entia to retain varying levels of sentience after their transformation. It's only temporary and fades over time, and when it finally does, they respond only to me. I know you all witnessed the incident with the Asara as well. As Telethia are exposed to more ether, they revert further back to their primitive state. This exposure can actually make their sentience decay faster, but Alcamoth has a high concentration of ether. Overexposure makes Telethia act like wild, unpredictable animals and it also becomes more difficult to keep them under control. If anything, I should be thanking you all for getting rid of them. The less rabid defects I have to deal with, the better." Lorithia said.

Melia lowered her head and gritted her teeth, "They're still people…" She muttered.

"What was that, your highness? You have to speak up." Lorithia taunted.

Melia threw her head back up and her dangerous glare returned, "They're. Still. People! The fact you look at them as just 'rabid defects' that you can throw away in the blink of an eye is disgusting and proves that you're not fit to rule, Lorithia!"

Lorithia simply smirked and stood up, readying for a fight. The others drew their weapons, but Shulk extended his arm in front of Melia and stepped in front of her.

"I don't want you getting hurt, Melia." Shulk said defensively.

"It seems Zanza's vessel developed a personality of its own, quite a chivalrous one at that." Lorithia commented.

"It doesn't matter what I am, I won't let you lay even a finger on her as long as I'm here!" Shulk growled and drew his weapon.

"Talk all you want, I still remain unconvinced. You couldn't even protect her father on Prison Island, what makes you think you can protect her now?" Lorithia shot back.

Shulk lowered his head, "She's right… I had a vision of Sorean's death before he went to Prison Island. I seen it happen, and I still couldn't stop it."

"Shulk, there's nothing you could have done. I don't blame you for what happened." Melia said.

Shulk lifted his head and looked back at Lorithia, "I may not have been able to save him, but there was still something I did right. Before Sorean left for Prison Island, he told me to watch over Melia, not just as some body guard, but to be there for her as a friend. I promised him that I would. Whenever she needed someone, I was there, and we became so much more as time went on."

Shulk kept his gaze fixated on Lorithia and pointed to Melia, "I made a promise to her as well. I promised I would protect her, and that I would be right at her side after all this was over. The thing I did right… was keeping my promise to Sorean, and just like I did back then, I'll keep that promise to her now!"

Lorithia broodingly laughed, "Look at you two, it's touching how close you are. Don't you think so too, Kallian?"

A Telethia then flew overhead and landed next to Lorithia. Kallian's upper body was seen sticking out of its chest, but he wasn't moving.

Melia's eyes grew wide in complete shock and horror. She moved Shulk's arm out of her way and stepped forward.

"Brother… brother! Can you hear me?" Melia cried.

"I told you earlier, child, the Telethia will only respond to me once their sentience is gone. He can't hear you, he probably doesn't even remember who you are." Lorithia said.

Lorithia moved closer to the Telethia and shot Melia a vexing glance, then leaned in and kissed Kallian as everyone watched in complete disgust.

"He's mine now." Lorithia sneered.

An ice elemental instantly appeared over Melia's head and took the shape of an icicle. She extended her hand forward and the icicle flew out like a bullet, grazing Lorithia's ear and taking a few inches off her hair before shattering against the wall.

"Leave my brother out of this, Lorithia, or the next one won't miss." Melia hissed.

Lorithia only grinned at Melia's threat, "Temper, temper, your highness. But I wonder, will you still make good on that threat if it meant hurting Kallian too?"

A green glow of ether covered Lorithia's side of the room, hiding everything inside of it like a fog. When it finally cleared, only the Telethia remained visible.

"Where did she go?!" Reyn asked.

Melia glanced back at the Telethia, noticing a change in both its appearance and ether pattern.

"She merged with the Telethia. That's what she meant, any harm that comes to her, Kallian will feel it too." Melia stated.

"Is there any low you won't sink to, Lorithia?" Sharla snarled.

"Melia, what do you want to do?" Shulk asked.

"I can't bear to see Kallian subjected to this… I can still fight." Melia answered.

"Okay then, let's go!" Shulk ordered.

As the group rushed forward, Lorithia summoned four different colored Nebulae that circled around her.

"After all that talk, this is what your strength amounts to?" Lorithia taunted, not even flinching from any of their attacks.

"We can't fight her assuming this will go like the other Telethia, something has to be different about this one." Dunban said.

Melia looked the Telethia over again, noticing the Nebulae around her.

"There! Aim for the Nebulae first!" Melia ordered.

Everyone quickly turned their attention to the Nebulae and focused on one at a time.

"Stay away from those!" Lorithia yelled and swung at them in an arc to push them away from the Nebulae.

Riki ran from behind the Telethia and sunk his teeth into her wing. Lorithia grunted slightly from the pain and spun herself around, knocking Riki off her.

Riki flipped himself right-side-up before he hit the ground and landed on his feet.

"You face heropon now!" Riki yelled.

"Is that supposed to be a threat? What can some miniscule pest like you hope to do?" Lorithia shot back.

Lorithia went to attack Riki and he started to run away. While she was distracted with chasing Riki, the others focused their attention back on the Nebulae.

One of the Nebulae burst and Lorithia looked back over from the noise.

"So that's your plan." Lorithia stopped chasing Riki and hurried over to defend the Nebulae.

Dunban stood in her way and tried to fight her off. This time, she was noticeably flinching and could feel his attacks now.

"It's working! She's weaker with the Nebulae gone!" Dunban shouted.

Dunban kept Lorithia at bay as best he could while the others continued to attack the Nebulae. However, just as the second one was about to burst, they all shook violently and sounded like they were humming.

"I will not be done in by the same mistakes that Zanza so brazenly ignored!" Lorithia yelled.

The three remaining Nebulae then exploded, knocking everyone in close range off their feet and blowing them back a short distance. Lorithia looked around the battlefield and noticed Shulk was among those knocked back from the explosion and laying on the ground.

"You! You were a big reason for Zanza's downfall, I won't let you roam freely and do the same to my plans!" Lorithia yelled and walked over to him.

Lorithia stood above Shulk and a bright light emerged from the Telethia's arm as she charged her Ether Laser, "I hope you enjoyed the time you had when you were brought back to life, vessel. You won't be coming back from this!"

Shulk felt like he couldn't move and desperately gasped as he stared into the light from the charged beam, it eventually grew to where the light was the only thing he could see.

Shulk closed his eyes and was filled with a strange sense of tranquility and warmth that covered him like a blanket. He started to feel like he was floating and everything around him went silent: There was no more noise from the battle and he couldn't feel any more pain from the explosion. There was nothing, the only way he could describe it was… peaceful.

Shulk's eyes opened and he sat up. He looked around but couldn't see anything familiar, just a white, open-area that seemed to stretch out forever.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Shulk quietly said to himself.

Shulk could hear a set of footsteps coming from behind him. He turned his head to see two figures walking towards him: A woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, around the same height as Shulk, and a man who looked slightly taller with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Shulk… we finally get to see you after all this time." The woman said. There was a breaking in her voice, almost like she was about to cry.

"Who are you two?" Shulk stood up and took a few steps away from them.

"… He doesn't remember us." The woman quietly said and looked down.

"You can't blame him for that. It's been so long, after all." The man said and put his arm over her.

"Why are you talking like I'm supposed to know who you are? I've never met either of you." Shulk spoke up.

The woman lifted her head back up, "Shulk… how much of your childhood do you remember?"

Shulk raised an eyebrow, not expecting to hear that.

"Not much…" He said back and looked away, trying to talk as little as possible about the subject.

"Do you remember anything about a blizzard up in the mountains, or taking shelter inside a chapel?" The woman asked.

A small gasp escaped and Shulk looked back over at them, "You mean Harict Chapel… how do you know about that?"

"Because we're the ones who brought you there. Shulk… we're your mom and dad." The man said.

"My mom… and my dad?" Shulk had to look them over a second time, then he could picture the two perfectly in the few memories he had with them. Tears flooded his face and he ran over to them, hugging them both as tight as he could.

"Mom! Dad! It's really you!" Shulk cried.

Tears formed in the corners of his parents' eyes and they held Shulk close while he cried uncontrollably.

"I missed you both so much!" Shulk sobbed.

"My poor baby, we missed you too!" Shulk's mom cried and soothingly rubbed his back.

Shulk felt like time had slowed to a crawl in their embrace. He looked up at his parents once he stopped crying.

"Mom, dad, if you're here, does that mean… I'm…" Shulk asked.

"Well, not yet. Look behind you." His dad said and pointed.

Shulk turned around and seen a giant circle behind him several feet away, almost like a portal. On the other side of that portal was the Audience Chamber, he could see himself with Lorithia standing above him, all his friends, and Melia near the back.

"You still have a choice, Shulk. You can either come with us or go back to your friends." Shulk's mom said.

"Mom… you can't just expect me to make a choice like that! Especially having to do it on the spot like this, and-"

Shulk's mom gently clasped his hands between hers, "It's okay, Shulk. There is no right or wrong answer. We'll understand and support you entirely, regardless of what you decide to do."

Shulk looked up at his mom, then back to his dad, and finally to the portal. He took a long look at everything and everyone on the other end of the portal, then nodded his head. He looked back to his parents, a confident look on his face like he knew what he wanted to do.

"Mom, dad, I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to move on yet. They need me, and I still have promises that I need to keep." Shulk said.

"That's my boy." Shulk's dad said and grinned, it was that same grin that Shulk always used.

"We understand, sweetie. We love you, and we'll always be watching over you." His mom said.

"I love you too, I love you both so much!" Shulk said back.

Shulk's mom kissed his forehead and they both gave Shulk another big hug. They let him go and Shulk looked back at the portal, he took a deep breath and slowly walked closer to it.

"Shulk, wait!" His mom called out.

As soon as Shulk turned around, he was met with another hug from his mom.

"Before you go, tell Melia that we would have loved to meet her too." Shulk's mom said.

"You… you know about her? And what we said to each other at the chapel?" Shulk was left so stunned that he couldn't move or even hug her back.

"Your mom meant what she said about watching over you. We always have been, and we're both sure that Melia will be there to support you through anything and keep you in line. You better keep that girl happy, Shulk. Don't start thinking that because we're not physically there doesn't mean I can't beat your ass if I see you make her cry." His dad joked.

Shulk looked over at his dad and seen that grin again, which he happily returned.

"Tell Melia that we love her too, and that we think you two are perfect for each other." Shulk's mom said.

"I will." Shulk said back and hugged her.

Shulk's dad put his arm over his wife and they watched Shulk step closer to the portal.

Shulk turned back around before he passed through, "Goodbye, you guys. I love you both so much!"

"We love you too, sweetie." His mom said.

"You've grown so much since we last saw you. We're proud of you, Shulk. Now go on, your friends are waiting for you." His dad said.

Shulk waved goodbye to them, they waved back, and a set of blue lights suddenly appeared in front of him. Lines started to connect the lights together and they formed a hexagram. Everything behind the hexagram started to blur and Shulk felt something grab him and pull him away at lightning speed.

Everything went dark and Shulk heard someone cry out in pain, his eyes flew back open and he took another desperate gasp for air. He looked around and he was back in the Audience Chamber, Lorithia was the one who screamed and was pushed off him, and the hexagram was still in front of him.

"I know this pattern. It's Melia's Reflection spell." Shulk sat up and looked over to where Melia was, her staff was out and in one hand while her other arm was opened and extended.

"I won't let you hurt Shulk!" Melia yelled. She lowered her extended arm and the blue hexagram faded.

"You're really starting to test my patience, child!" Lorithia yelled back.

A teal glow emitted from Melia's eyes, "We both made that promise. Just like Shulk, I promised I wouldn't let any harm come to him and that we would see the rebuilding of Alcamoth together!"

"Even you should know not to make promises you can't keep, your highness." Lorithia hissed.

Melia glared dangerously and fired volleys of elementals at Lorithia as she came closer.

"Enough games, child!" Lorithia yelled and began to charge another Ether Laser.

As the charge grew, Reyn's shield started pulsing rapidly and a blue light flickered from the shield.

 _That's my cue!_

Lorithia lifted her arm and aimed it at Melia. A concentrated beam of ether fired from her arm, but before Melia could cast another reflection spell, Reyn jumped in front of her and raised his shield. The force from the attack pushed him back slightly, but he dug his feet into the ground while the scales began to absorb the ether.

"Reyn!" Melia called.

Reyn kept his shield up and looked back at Melia, giving her a grin, "You guys were right! This thing really _can_ warn me about the ether before it happens!"

"Thank you, Reyn." Melia said.

"Thank yourselves, I wouldn't have known that would happen fast enough without this driver you and Shulk built. Stay behind me and keep it up!" Reyn ordered.

Melia nodded and continued to fire volleys from behind Reyn's shield while it absorbed more ether from Lorithia's attacks. After several blocked attacks, the scales around Reyn's shield began to vibrate and make a soft humming noise, then the scales near the pointed edge of his weapon started to light up.

"What gives? The ones on that end never lit up before, just the ones around the shield." Reyn thought out loud.

The scales at the pointed edge started making a high-pitched ring and were so brightly lit that they looked white.

"Whatever it's doing, it doesn't look good. Get down!" Reyn ordered and aimed the end of his weapon away, pointing it towards Lorithia.

A highly charged blast of ether shot out from the tip of his weapon and hit Lorithia, toppling her over while she screamed in pain.

Reyn couldn't even register what just happened and he stared at his weapon, "Did… did I just do that?"

"Neither Shulk or I knew that was possible when we built the weapon. It seems the scales don't just absorb ether but can even fire it back." Melia said, looking just as stunned as Reyn.

Reyn started shuddering from the adrenaline and threw his arms out to the side, "Yeahhh! How'd ya like that? It's Reyn time now, baby! Shulk, did you see that?"

Shulk was still in shock from his near-death experience and sitting on the ground, not paying attention to anything going on around him.

"Oi, Shulk, what's wrong with you?" Reyn asked and lowered his weapon.

Lorithia jumped back up and instantly fired another Ether Laser at Reyn while he was distracted, knocking him off his feet.

"Reyn! Are you okay?" Sharla called and aimed her rifle at him.

"How did you like _that_?" Lorithia yelled back to try and taunt Reyn, "I can't tell which is more painful, that returned fire or listening to him talk!"

Lorithia picked up where she left off and started walking closer to Melia, "I'll admit, weaponizing the Telethia's scales was clever, but now there's nothing left to shield you, your highness!"

The glow in Melia's eyes left as Lorithia readied her next shot, but Fiora jumped onto the Telethia's back and climbed up. She aimlessly stabbed away, making Lorithia miss her shot.

"Stay away from her!" Fiora yelled.

The Telethia let out a roar and shook around, eventually flipping Fiora off her and sending her sliding across the floor.

"Fiora!" Dunban called and ran over to where she landed.

Fiora swayed, but stood up and glared at Lorithia, "Weren't you listening to what Melia said? Her and Shulk still have things to do, and I'm not going to let you get in the way of that!"

Lorithia growled, "I've had enough of this talk about your promises and pointless attempts at showing camaraderie! If you want to act like you're in unison, then you'll die like it too!"

Lorithia moved her hands closer to her chest and a ball of ether energy formed, growing bigger and more unstable as her hands moved further apart. The ball began to shake violently and hummed while the ground underneath everyone rumbled.

"What's happening? What's she doing now?" Dunban said.

The rumbling underneath Shulk snapped him out of his daze and he looked over at the others.

"The explosion from this should be more than enough to cover this room and kill you all in one swoop. Farewell, vermin!" Lorithia yelled.

"Melia!"

Melia looked over and Shulk was running up to her at full speed. Just like Melia's were before, Shulk's eyes were glowing. She looked into his blue glowing eyes, as if she understood what he was about to do. She nodded, then bent her knees and put her hands together. Shulk jumped into her clasped hands and she launched him high into the air above Lorithia.

"Today, I make good on my promise, just like I did with Sorean!" Shulk yelled.

A purple light covered the Monado and Shulk lifted it over his head. He swung it down as he came back to the ground, slicing clean through the Telethia.

Lorithia screamed in agony as she fell to the Earth, blood was pouring from her open wound and ether also escaped from it, rising into the air before dispersing.

Everyone watched in awe as realization set in, there was no way for Lorithia to continue fighting after a wound that severe. They all slowly sheathed their weapons and circled around her.

Lorithia knew deep down that she was beat but continued to shoot everyone defiant glares while the rest looked down at her with soft eyes.

"Lorithia, do you have any last words?" Shulk asked.

"You're not heroic, vessel, so quit trying to act like it. You were brought back to life to be Zanza's puppet, someone that did what he was told without question. He wanted you to kill, so go ahead, do what you were brought back to do." She sneered.

Shulk closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore her taunting. If he was going to do this, it wasn't going to be out of spite. He slowly lifted the Monado over his head, but Melia grabbed his arm before he could deliver the killing blow.

"Wait, Shulk, I'll do it." Melia said.

Lorithia looked both enraged and disgusted as Melia stepped forward, but she was too weak to do anything to her. Strangely enough, it didn't seem like her Telethia counterpart would respond to her even if she had the strength to move.

"To meet my end at the hands of a half-breed like you… it's embarrassing." Lorithia growled.

Melia closed her eyes and put a hand to her chest. A small light appeared around her arm and she extended it out towards Lorithia, but suddenly, another light emerged from the Telethia and blinded everyone in the room.

"You've done enough, Melia. Leave her to me."

The light faded and everyone was left stunned, seeing Kallian's body stirring and moving slightly. He regained consciousness and slowly started to open his eyes.

"Kallian…" Melia felt tears forming in her eyes and she knelt down, hugging him as tight as she could.

Kallian held her close while she sobbed into his shoulder, "I'm glad I could see you one last time, Melia."

"No… Kallian, don't talk like that! There has to be-"

Kallian gently lifted Melia's head up and wiped the tears from her cheek, "I'll be okay, Melia. This was fate, and there was no escaping from it. The Telethia gene lies dormant within us all, and I wouldn't have wanted to remain this way and hurt those that I cared about. I'm grateful for what you did, both for me and for the rest of our people. The remaining High Entia can now return home, and you can lead them down any path you believe to be the right one. I'm proud of you, Melia, and I'll always be with you."

Melia nodded and gave him one last hug, "I love you, Kallian."

"I love you too, Melia." Kallian said and hugged her back.

The light re-emerged and covered the room in its blinding glow. Once it faded, Melia's arms were left empty, both Kallian and the Telethia were gone.

Melia felt like she had gone numb, a blank expression and a distant look were all that could be seen as she stood back up.

"Melia…" Shulk tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she gently pushed him away.

"There's no need to worry, Shulk. I feel fine." Melia said and forced a smile.

Shulk could see clear through her, but he gave up for now and reluctantly nodded. Everyone followed behind Melia to the lower floors and outside the palace.

Melia looked over the ledge of the city's second floor to see the captain and all the soldiers behind him on the floor underneath. They all turned towards the ledge and looked up at Melia, anxiously waiting to hear what news their empress had.

"Alcamoth is once again ours!" Melia exclaimed and raised her staff high above her head.

The soldiers all raised their weapons as mixes of crying and cheering roared throughout the entire city, but while everyone else was celebrating down below and basking in their victory, everything felt somber for the seven of them still on the higher platform. Shulk especially kept an eye on Melia, while Dunban looked worried for the both of them. He placed a hand on Shulk's shoulder and they glanced at each other.

"I know what you're thinking, Shulk." Dunban said.

"She's not okay, Dunban. I don't care how many times she tries to tell me that, I know she's lying." Shulk muttered, the frustration he was feeling was apparent in his voice.

"We know, but this isn't the time or the place to bring that up again. She couldn't have addressed the soldiers like that, nor should they see her breaking down if you keep pushing her to talk about it. Give her some space for now, and only bring it up if she's willing to talk about it and you two are alone." Dunban advised.

Shulk let out a reluctant and irritated sigh. He knew Dunban was right, but he still felt angry that he couldn't do anything to try and help her.

Night time soon came around and everyone was back at their barracks while groups of soldiers stayed in Alcamoth. The Telethia were sure to have been cleared from the city, but they decided to keep soldiers there overnight to patrol the area and make sure it was safe before allowing the civilians back inside.

Shulk was laying on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, still feeling restless after everything that happened today. His thoughts would sometimes drift towards Melia and he would only feel worry on top of everything else.

 _How could someone claim to be okay after something like that?_

Shulk got up and thought to go outside for a bit, hoping that getting some fresh air would help or maybe find something to do and keep his mind busy on something else. He walked down the hall and thought he could hear a faint noise as he passed by Melia's room.

 _What was that?_

He went up to Melia's door and put his ear against it. He was sure he heard something now and it sounded much clearer, it was sniffling.

Shulk slowly turned the knob and cracked the door, "Melia? Are you still awake?"

Melia was laying on her bed with her face hidden inside a pillow. She jumped a little from hearing Shulk, but she didn't sit up, only turning in the direction of the door and trying to cover her breaking voice as best she could.

"I'm awake… did you need something, Shulk?" Melia asked.

Shulk didn't say anything back and came into her room, shutting the door behind him. He knelt at her bedside and put his hand up to her cheek, feeling a wetness against his hand. His eyes started to readjust to being back in the dark and he was left heartbroken at what he saw. Melia's face was drenched in tears and her eyes were red and puffy from how much she had been crying.

"Oh, Melia. I'm so sorry." Shulk whispered and gently held her in his arms.

There was no sense in hiding it anymore. Melia started shaking badly and she threw her arms around Shulk, her crying muffled in his shoulder.

"Easy, Angel, easy. I'm right here." Shulk tried to comfort her. He felt like he should say something more, but what could he have said? He couldn't just tell her that it would be okay or something along those lines, she lost the last of her family, and it didn't make it any better that she had to help in putting him down.

Shulk held her close and soothingly rubbed her back, staying silent and waiting for Melia to say something.

"Why did this have to happen, Shulk? I'm supposed to lead the High Entia, be the one they look to for guidance and see that they prosper, but what have I done to show that? My people were forced out of their homes, and those that didn't get the chance to flee either died or became Telethia that I had to help in exterminating. Everything I've done to try and help has only made things worse, so what's the point in any of it? I'm no leader, Shulk, I'm not fit to even lead a city of one." Melia sobbed.

"Look at me, Melia!" Shulk's frustration finally got the better of him and he raised his voice.

Shulk pried Melia off him and he held her by her shoulders, looking her right in her tear-stained eyes, "What happened to everyone was not your fault, and you did everything you could to try and fix that! You didn't do anything wrong, and not a single person would look down on you for what you did! None of them would have wanted to stay as Telethia and hurt the people they loved. The rest of the High Entia are probably looking at you like you're the perfect one to lead them right now, Melia. That's what I think, and it isn't just me; The rest of our friends think that way, your people and everyone that fought here thinks that way, and even _your brother_ thinks that way! Weren't you listening to what Kallian said?!"

Even though this was something Melia needed to hear, the way Shulk went about it made her feel scared and like she didn't know what to do. Tears filled her eyes again and her lips quivered as soft whimpers escaped.

Shulk had a strong look of guilt on his face from seeing Melia cry, he felt so bad about it that he almost wanted to cry too. He took a shaky breath and tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was yelling at you. Come here, I'm not mad at you." Shulk said softly and pulled her in for a hug.

"I-its okay. I forgive you." Melia managed to get out through her sobbing.

Shulk held her close and did whatever he could to try and calm her down. Thankfully, Melia started to relax and stopped crying after a few minutes.

"Melia, I don't care if you get upset with me for this, but I'm not leaving you alone for the rest of the night." Shulk's tone was still firm but sounded much softer now.

Melia took a few shaky breaths before answering him, "I don't mind, but what if someone sees you here?"

"That's the least of my worries, I'm more concerned about you right now." Shulk said back.

Melia didn't have the energy to try and argue that with Shulk, and it seemed like his mind was made up regardless.

Melia only nodded and Shulk tried to stand up, but Melia wouldn't let go of him. She held onto him so tight that he could barely move.

"Shulk…" Melia whimpered.

Shulk couldn't see her face since she had it hidden in his shoulder, but he could feel her shaking. It was like she was terrified to be away from him.

"Melia, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere." Shulk leaned back down and gave her another hug.

Melia slowly released her grip and Shulk stood up. He hurried over to the other end of the bed and Melia latched back onto him after he laid down.

Shulk watched Melia closely while she rested her head on his chest. Her shaking had lessened, but she went quiet.

"Talk to me, Angel, feeling any better?" Shulk asked.

Melia was about to nod her head, but then she remembered what Shulk said after their battle with Yumea, about not hiding what she's feeling anymore.

"A little bit, but there's something still troubling me…" Melia started.

"What is it?" Shulk asked.

"It's just… I feel scared, Shulk." Melia whimpered, she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him.

"About what? Why would you feel scared?" Shulk asked and put his arm over her protectively.

"I've already lost my father, and now my brother. I don't know if I would be able to handle losing someone else I cared about. That goes for anybody; Sharla, Fiora, or even… even you." Melia tried as hard as possible not to cry again, Shulk was already worried about her and she didn't want to make it worse, but that last mention about losing him almost set her over the edge. She didn't cry, but her shaking worsened again and she held him tighter as small whimpers made it out.

"It's okay, Angel." Shulk kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, "You don't have to be thinking that way. We've been around everyone long enough to know that they'll always look after each other. Even if something bad were to happen, I would have had a vision about it. None of us are going anywhere, especially me. I'll never leave your side, Melia."

"You promise?" Melia asked.

"I promise." Shulk said back.

Melia reached up to Shulk and gave him a small kiss. She laid back down next to him and soon went to sleep. Shulk stayed up for as long as he could, holding her in his arms and rubbing her back to keep her soothed while she slept.

Shulk's eyes started to grow heavy and he felt like he couldn't keep them open much longer. He kissed the top of Melia's head before he fell back onto his pillow and went to sleep.

The two slept soundly for a few hours, but Melia started to have vivid dreams. She could see herself back in the throne room, just her and Kallian.

Kallian took her hand, "You're free, Melia, you're free to live your own life. Whichever path you want to forge, whichever way you want to lead our people, you have the choice. That is the hope of the High Entia, and you can give our people that same hope through the legacy you leave behind."

Melia gripped his hand tighter, "But how am I supposed to do any of that alone?"

"That's where you're mistaken, Melia. I haven't left you, and you also have Shulk and the others with you. I'm certain that you and Shulk will guide our people down the right path, and I'll be watching you every step of the way." Kallian assured her.

Kallian let go of Melia's hand and began moving away from her. Melia tried to chase after him, but she couldn't move fast enough to keep up. She was only inches away from Kallian and she desperately reached her arm out to try and grab him.

"Brother, don't go!" Melia's eyes flew open and she jumped herself awake. She was sitting upright with her arm extended just like in her dream.

"Kallian…" Melia started to cry as reality sunk back in that her brother was gone. She covered her mouth to muffle her crying, not wanting Shulk to wake up and see her like this.

Melia wiped the tears from her eyes, "No more crying. Father and Kallian entrusted me with the fate of the High Entia, I owe it to them to be strong and see this through." She quietly said, trying to cheer herself up.

Melia looked to the other side of the bed to see if Shulk woke up. He was laying on his back, quietly snoring away.

Even though he was asleep, just having Shulk near her gave Melia reassurance.

 _You're right, brother, I'm not alone. Shulk… just like we promised, we'll be at each other's side through this and anything else that stands in our way._

Melia gently kissed Shulk's forehead and laid back down on her side of the bed. Shulk suddenly rolled over and put his arm over her. Melia turned her head, thinking he woke up but he still had his eyes closed.

Melia smiled and took his arm, placing it around her side and held his hand close to her heart.

"Good night, Shulk." Melia mused and kissed his hand. She calmly slept through the rest of the night, nested safely under Shulk's arm.


	11. Future Plans Pt2

It was still early morning, but sunlight seeped through the window and into Melia's room. Shulk started to stir from the light hitting his face and he sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked over to Melia's side of the bed, seeing that she was still asleep.

"Melia…" He softly mused. Normally, waking up next to her would be enough to put a smile on his face, but he still felt worried about her after last night. As badly as he wanted to stay, he knew he had to be out of her room before anyone seen that he stayed the night with her.

Shulk got up and dressed, but as he sat back on the bed to get his shoes on, Melia rolled over and hugged him from behind.

Shulk started to smile and placed his hand over hers, "Hey, you. What are you doing up so early?"

"I heard you walking around." Melia said, still sounding half asleep.

Shulk turned around and held Melia in his arms, giving her a soft, tender kiss, "How are you feeling, Angel? Do you want me to stay here for a bit longer?"

Melia nuzzled closer and rested her head near his collar bone. She felt so warm and safe in his arms, so much that she could have fallen back asleep like this if he didn't have to leave.

"I'm okay, Shulk. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." Melia said.

"It wouldn't bother me, but alright, if you're sure. Come on, back to bed." Shulk gently set Melia down on her side of the bed. He put the blankets back over her and kissed her on the lips, then another on her forehead.

"Good night." Shulk told her.

"Good night, Boo." Melia mused.

It didn't take long for Melia to fall back asleep. Shulk finished getting ready and glanced back at his girlfriend one more time before slowly opening the door.

 _Alright, perfect. Everyone is still asleep._

Shulk didn't feel like he could go back to bed once he was in his own room. He took a long shower, then laid on his bed and pulled a book out of the nightstand drawer, trying to pass the time while he waited for everyone else to wake up. Their friends would be leaving tomorrow morning, so Shulk and Melia were going to spend the day with them. Shortly after they left, he and Melia were going to attend a memorial service for those that passed away or transformed into Telethia.

There was a knock at his door a few hours later.

"Come in." Shulk said.

The door opened and he seen Reyn first, followed by the others as they all came in to Shulk's room.

Melia stepped ahead of the group and climbed into Shulk's bed, snuggling close to him.

"Still tired or something, Melia?" Shulk asked and wrapped his arms around her.

"No, I just wanted to lay next to you. You don't mind, do you?" Melia asked.

Shulk chuckled a little at her question, something about the way she asked that made it sound so cute.

"You don't have to ask, Melia, you can do whatever you want." Shulk said.

Everyone else stayed standing while Shulk and Melia cuddled on the bed.

"Aww, missed him that much after a few nights alone?" Sharla commented.

Shulk and Melia looked at each other, both of them smiling and trying to hide their grins.

"I guess so." Melia answered.

After their talk last night in Melia's room, Shulk understood why she was always trying to be close to him. It wasn't enough to be considered clinging to him, but Shulk didn't seem to mind either way, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the extra attention.

"Well, we were all planning on getting some grub." Reyn said and pointed behind him.

"You want to come with us, Romeo and Juliet?" Sharla added.

"Yeah, I'm getting a bit hungry. Want to come too, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"Mhm." Melia nodded and hugged him tighter.

The two sat up and held hands while the others lead the way to the canteen. While they were eating, everyone decided to go into Alcamoth for the day. They still had time before the soldiers would allow everyone back in, so it would be quiet and they could look around the city at their own pace.

Everyone finished eating and headed for the Center Gate transporter, taking their time as they walked through Alcamoth's districts.

"It looks like some areas were hit harder than others. But overall, the damage doesn't seem as bad as I thought it would be." Dunban said as they looked around.

The group continued their aimless tour around the city and came across the commercial district, which seemed to be in the best-looking condition compared to the other districts. Other than a few minor-to-moderate repairs, the only things left that needed to be changed were cosmetic.

Everyone was glancing through the front glass of the stores and window shopping as they walked along, but Reyn seen something glimmering in the corner of his eye and he stopped. He looked up at the name of the building and noticed that it was a jewelry store, and the glimmering he seen earlier was from the several rows of display cases showing necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings of any design imaginable.

Reyn leaned closer to the window and looked over all the jewelry, but what really caught his eye was the rows of engagement rings he found near the back of the showroom.

"If only I could give Sharla something as high-end as these…" Reyn quietly said to himself.

Dunban noticed that Reyn was missing and looked behind him, seeing Reyn squinting his eyes to try and read the price tags on the rings.

"I must be seeing extra numbers or something. I figured they would be expensive, but _this_ much?!" Reyn said out loud.

"You say that as if you're going to buy one."

Reyn jumped back, he was so focused on the rings that he didn't notice Dunban behind him.

"Don't be sneaking up on me like that, Dunban!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Sorry. They do look nice though, don't they?" Dunban said and nudged his head in the direction of the display cases.

"Yeah, they do." Reyn said, his face glued back on to the window.

Dunban followed his gaze, seeing that he was looking at the engagement rings.

"Planning to ask Sharla?" Dunban asked.

Reyn shook his head, "No, not yet. Maybe someday, but there's no way I could afford one like these."

Dunban put his hand to his chin, "Well, you did say there was time before that happens. You could start saving up, and if you still come up short then I might be able to help you cover the rest if you pay me back."

"You'd do that?" Reyn turned away from the window and gawked at him.

"As long as it's within a reasonable amount." Dunban spoke up.

"But… why, Dunban?" Reyn asked.

"Just looking out for you guys like I've always done." Dunban simply replied.

"That's what I mean, though. There's gotta be more to it than just 'looking out'." Reyn pressed.

"Well…" Dunban let out a sigh and blankly stared into the window, "I wasn't lying when I said it was to look out for you, but it's probably not in the way that you thought. You were all only kids when your parents died, and I don't think I can go as far as to say being a father figure, but I knew someone needed to look out for all of you and keep you going in the right direction. I just see this as another way of doing that."

"Dunban… thank you! I mean it, I really appreciate this!" Reyn said. His tone changed to a more serious one, but he still looked a bit nervous, "I can't really speak for the others, but I've looked up to you since I was a kid, Dunban. I don't think anyone could replace my old man, but…"

Dunban tried to hide the smile appearing on his face, "I get what you're trying to say, Reyn. Don't think anything else of this, I'm just doing the same thing I've always been doing. We should join up with the others before they notice we're missing. Wouldn't want Sharla to catch on and spoil the surprise, even if it's not going to be for a while."

Reyn and Dunban caught up with the rest of the group and continued on, reaching the residential districts. Damage could be seen throughout the area, but Melia was focused on the piles of rubble where houses used to stand.

"Melia?" Shulk walked over but she didn't answer him. He could see that sad look appearing on Melia's face and pulled her in for a hug.

"They were forced out of their homes, Shulk… and now some of them won't even have a home to go back to." Melia finally spoke, her voice was quiet but Shulk could still hear the depressed tone in it.

"Hey, look at me, Melia." Shulk lifted her head and gave her a gentle kiss, "It'll be okay. We'll fix everything, just like we talked about, maybe even make it better than it was before."

"But where will those that lost their homes go until then?" Melia asked.

"They could stay at the barracks while they wait for their houses to be rebuilt, or maybe the soldiers could construct something temporary for them to live in." Shulk assured her.

Melia nodded and put her arms around Shulk's neck, feeling her confidence coming back as she gazed into his eyes.

"You're right, Shulk. We'll do everything we can to fix this, and we'll do it together." Melia said.

"That's my girl." Shulk smiled.

Melia smiled back and gently pressed her forehead to his.

"Just like we promised. I love you, Shulk." She mused.

"I love you too, Melia." Shulk pulled her closer and into a passionate kiss.

They finished looking around the city by late afternoon and headed back to the headquarters. On their way across the hovering reefs, Reyn stopped and lifted his head up while he sniffed the air.

"Hey, any of you guys smell smoke or is it just me?" Reyn asked.

Everyone else stopped and noticed the smell too. They could see the smoke coming from the reef where the headquarters was at in the distance.

"Did something happen over there?" Sharla asked.

"I guess we'll find out. Let's go!" Reyn said urgently.

The group was met by the captain as they rushed into the base camp, he had a half-finished drink in his hand and seemed a little buzzed.

"Whoa, guys, where's the fire?" The captain asked.

"We could be asking you that same question! We saw smoke, what's going on here?" Reyn asked.

The captain just stared at them for a few seconds, then started to snicker and pointed to the side of him, "You mean from there?"

Everyone looked where he was pointing and seen a group of soldiers and refugees gathered around a bonfire.

"I've probably been a soldier for longer than all of you put together, and even _I'm_ not this jumpy." The captain joked.

Everyone in the group let out a relieved sigh seeing that there was no real danger.

"Yeah that smoke you all saw was probably from one of my genius squad mates deciding to make the fire bigger by pouring alcohol on it." The captain stated.

"I think a fire elemental with some combustible materials would have sufficed." Melia pointed out.

"I know, what a waste of a good drink!" The captain said and took a swig.

"Not exactly the point I was trying to make, captain." Melia said.

Reyn chuckled, "Gotta say, it's a little weird seeing you laid back for once, Cap, especially around Melia."

"Well, there's no more fighting so no reason to be barking orders either. I've known the empress almost her entire life, not really anything knew." The captain shrugged.

"Why have a bonfire, though?" Shulk asked.

"Everyone wanted to celebrate the city being reclaimed, so we all agreed to have a bonfire. A few squads went back into the city to get provisions and came back with quite a bit of alcohol, some of it's pretty good too." The captain said and held up his glass.

The captain slammed what was left of his drink, "I'll leave you all to it. Grab yourselves a drink and relax, you've earned it, and with how jumpy you all are, you probably need it."

The captain walked away and went to a new structure they didn't remember seeing before. It seemed to resemble a makeshift bar with a long "L" shaped counter, stools in front and several rows of shelves with bottles behind it, multiple sets of other tables nearby, and a small area off to the side with people playing instruments.

"You know, maybe he's right." Sharla said.

"I agree, we could use the rest." Melia added.

"Yeah, looks like everyone is having fun. I don't plan on drinking, though." Shulk said.

"Riki might try a few of Bird People's drinks." Riki spoke up.

"I didn't know you drink, fuzz ball." Reyn commented.

"Riki not think Reyn cared about Riki's business. Riki drinks, maybe can hold drinks better than Reyn." Riki teased.

"Yeah? How's about we find out?" Reyn smirked.

"But, Reyn, you're not-"

"It'll be fine, Sharla. If Cap doesn't care, then I don't think anyone else will." Reyn suddenly cut her off, "So, whaddaya say, fuzz ball?"

"Riki take Reyn on! Reyn may be big, but Riki bet Reyn little baby when comes to drinking!" Riki smirked back.

"So help me, if I have to babysit you two all night…" Sharla growled.

Everyone followed behind Reyn and Riki to the bar. They kept their empty glasses lined up to easily tally the winner, but Sharla stepped in after she felt the line of empty glasses was getting too long, and their obnoxiously loud behavior wasn't helping.

"Okay, you two, that's enough." Sharla said.

"Oh, lighten up, Sharla. I feel fine." Reyn protested.

"Riki would go see Oka if Riki wanted to be nagged." Riki added.

Sharla glared at the two while the rest of the group covered their mouths to hide their snickering.

"I guess they get courageous when they drink, don't they?" Dunban smirked.

"If this is what I'm going to have to deal with all night, _I'm_ the one who's going to need a drink." Sharla groaned.

"Great idea! Yo, barkeep!" Reyn tapped the counter and raised his hand.

Everyone else laughed, but Sharla didn't think it was funny and continued to chew the two out.

The group split up after Reyn and Riki were cut off on drinks. Sharla stayed with Reyn and Riki to keep them out of trouble, Dunban and Fiora were mingling with others around the camp, and Shulk and Melia hung around the bonfire for a bit before going for a walk around the hovering reefs.

Everyone met back up by the bonfire as nighttime came around, with Shulk and Melia being the last to arrive.

"Reyn! How ya feeling?" Shulk asked as he and Melia sat down by the fire.

"Everything's still spinning a little, but you know what? I'm feelin' all right!" Reyn replied.

"They finally started to calm down, and now it's my turn to relax." Sharla said. She held up the beer bottle in her hand and took a few sips.

"Well excuse me for wanting to have some fun while we're all still here together." Reyn shot back.

"What do you mean, Reyn?" Sharla asked.

"Well, we were all planning on doing our own things after this was over, weren't we?" Reyn answered.

"For once, Reyn's got a point. We all knew that a time would eventually come where we went our separate ways." Dunban said.

"I guess you're right. Now that this is over, we'll all be going back home and doing our own things. Anyone have any ideas they wanted to share?" Sharla asked.

Everyone went quiet for a few moments and thought about it.

"Riki know what Riki want to do! Riki want to become adventurer and travel around new world!" Riki answered first.

"That's a great idea, Riki. I'm sure there's plenty of things about this new world we created to explore!" Fiora praised. She then nervously looked down, "I haven't really decided on what I want to do, though."

"Fiora not feel bad, don't need to have answer right away. Fiora should take time to think about what Fiora want deep down!" Riki suggested.

"Something I want deep down…" Fiora still wasn't sure on what exactly that was, but she still put on a smile as she lifted her head back up.

"Maybe you're right, Riki." Fiora said.

"Of course Riki right! Fiora take as much time as Fiora need to find what that is." Riki replied.

Riki looked to his other side, "What about Dundun?"

"Do you all remember that I had to go see Colonel Vangarre a while ago, right before the festival? He wanted me to consider working for the military again and offered me a job. I was thinking of taking it." Dunban answered.

"Not too long before we came here, my boss told me that Vangarre was looking for me too. Just like Dunban, Vangarre wanted me to move back to Colony 9 and work for him, even offered to pay me more." Reyn said.

"Reyn told me about his job offer after you guys left. I'll be staying with him in Colony 9 and studying to become a doctor while he works for Vangarre. Not really sure what we'll do after that, we might stay in Colony 9 or move into a bigger house back in Colony 6 after we save enough." Sharla added.

"Only two left then. Shulk, Melia, what about you?" Fiora asked.

"Well…" Shulk started nervously.

Melia reached for Shulk's hand and gave him a comforting smile.

Shulk smiled back at her, then turned to Fiora, "Like we mentioned earlier, I'm staying here with Melia and helping her rebuild."

"I see…" Fiora replied. She was almost certain that would be his answer but still felt the need to ask, like there might have been a small chance that he reconsidered. Just the thought of not knowing when she'll see Shulk again made her start to feel depressed and she swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

Shulk scanned over the looks on his friends' faces, all of them seeming gloomy. Even the atmosphere around the bonfire felt bittersweet.

"Why do you all feel like this has to end on such a somber note?" Shulk asked.

"Shulk is right." Melia spoke up, "We all have our own paths to walk, but that doesn't mean we will never see each other again."

Shulk nodded at her, "Right. We were with each other through good and bad times, and we made memories together that we'll never forget. Even when you guys leave tomorrow, those bonds we made won't be going anywhere. We'll never be apart, and you're all more than welcome to come visit any time you want."

"Well said, Shulk!" Dunban praised.

"Got that right! Cheers, Shulk!" Reyn said.

"Hear, hear!" Sharla said and took a drink.

"Riki fired up from Shulk and Melly's words! Hotter than bonfire!" Riki cheered.

"I don't think any of us could have said it better, Shulk. We all needed to hear that, and we'll be taking you up on your offer to visit soon!" Fiora said.

They all hung around the bonfire for a bit longer before putting it out and going to bed.

The next morning, everyone gathered by the edge of the hovering reef as a transport ship landed nearby. The door to the ship opened and they all stopped to say their goodbyes to Shulk and Melia before boarding.

Reyn was the first to board and waved behind him as he stepped onto the ship, "Don't be doing anything too crazy without me, Shulk!"

"Riki will come visit when Riki comes back from travels!" Riki said and followed behind Reyn.

Fiora hugged Shulk first, "We meant it when we said we would come visit, Shulk. It might not be for a while, but we'll be back!"

"I know you will. You and the others can come visit whenever you want." Shulk said and hugged her back.

Fiora then went up to Melia, a frown appearing on her face as she hugged her tightly.

"Melia, please take care of Shulk." Fiora's voice broke as she quietly pleaded.

Melia's heart sunk and she pulled Fiora closer. Even though they talked about Shulk back in the Audience Chamber, Melia could tell that Fiora still had feelings for him on some level.

"Of course I will." Melia assured her.

After a long embrace, the two girls broke apart and Fiora walked over to Dunban.

"We'll see you soon." Dunban said before the two boarded the ship.

"Be safe, you two. With how much you've helped turn Colony 6 around, I'm sure you can do it here too!" Sharla said and hugged them both.

With everyone on board, the door to the ship closed and prepared for takeoff. Shulk and Melia stayed by the edge of the hovering reef, waving goodbye as the ship carried them across Eryth Sea until they were out of sight.

Fiora was still staring out the window, a frown on her face as she looked out at the water over Eryth Sea.

Sharla could see the look on Fiora's face and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's about Shulk, isn't it?" Sharla asked softly.

Fiora's lip started quivering and she gave a reluctant nod.

Sharla gently pulled Fiora close and hugged her.

"I know his feelings for me changed… and I even talked with Melia about it, but… it's just…" Fiora was shaking slightly and pausing, not sure on how to put it into words.

"There, there. I know what you're trying to say, Fiora. Maybe we can find someone else back in Colony 9 that would be perfect for you." Sharla said and rubbed her back.

"But… I…" Fiora buried her face in Sharla's shoulder to muffle her sobbing, not wanting anyone else to hear her.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. It's going to be hard, but even you should know that he still cares about you and that he's not going anywhere. We'll come back once Alcamoth starts to get back on its feet and you can see Shulk again, even if I have to take you back here by myself. Would that make you feel better?" Sharla said soothingly.

Fiora nodded and hugged Sharla tighter while she tried to calm down.

Back at the barracks, Shulk and Melia were getting ready for the memorial service. They changed into more formal clothes and walked together to Showdown Hill.

Soldiers and refugees alike joined together in front of a massive stone wall with the names of those that were confirmed to have passed away or transformed into Telethia inscribed on it. Some lit candles while others placed items at the base of the monument, including flowers, pictures of lost loved ones, and trinkets that had sentimental value.

At the end of the service, everyone lowered their heads for a moment of silence and prayer. People then began to take their leave and went back to the barracks, but Melia stayed by the monument.

"Shulk, there's somewhere else I planned on going after the service. It's voluntary if you wanted to come with me, but if not, I'll see you back at the barracks." Melia said.

"Where are you going?" Shulk asked.

"Kallian was a member of the Imperial Family, so his resting place is elsewhere. I'm going to the High Entia Tomb to see him, and also to see my mother and father." Melia answered.

Shulk looked worried and took Melia's hand, "Of course I'll come with you. If you need something, anything at all, let me know, okay?"

Melia nodded but couldn't bring herself to even attempt a smile. She gave a signal and a small group of Imperial Guards came over to escort them to the tomb, and they were also holding flowers and grave blankets.

Melia was quiet and in thought the entire way to the tomb. Down in the lower halls, Shulk abruptly stopped and gripped the Monado, seeing the constructs and instinctively thinking they would attack.

Melia didn't stop for the constructs and trudged right past them with no regard.

"Melia?" Shulk tried to get her attention, but she didn't stop.

"They're docile since no alarms were triggered. You're free to move around, sir." A guard said to Shulk.

Shulk took his hand off the Monado and ran ahead to catch up with Melia.

"Melia?" He asked again.

Still no answer.

Shulk leaned over to get a better look at her, seeing a grim and gloomy look in Melia's eyes. It felt like, even though she was right in front of him, that Melia was someplace else, somewhere dark.

"Melia, hey…" Shulk said softly and took her hand.

Melia blinked, broken out of her thoughts traveling by Shulk's touch.

"Hm? Oh, sorry, Shulk. I must have gotten lost in my train of thought." Melia said.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all." Shulk said.

"I'm okay, Shulk, there's no need to be worried." Melia said and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Shulk stayed at her side as they continued traversing through the labyrinth-like tomb. After passing through several more hallways, Melia stopped midway down the hall and reached into her pocket, pulling out a strange emblem. Shulk couldn't tell what the emblem was made from but could see engravings on the front of it that looked like High Entia design.

Melia moved closer to the wall and lifted out a hollow panel, revealing a false bottom with an open socket inside. She placed the emblem into the socket and the wall started to rumble as a piece of it began to move, showing a hidden door.

"This is as far as we go." A guard said.

The guards handed Shulk and Melia the flowers and grave blankets, then formed a perimeter around the newly opened door.

Seeming confused, Shulk decided to follow Melia's lead and walked behind her into the hidden room. He had to shield his eyes at first, then his confusion and any other worries he had suddenly melted away as he looked around. Inside the room was a giant garden, it was brightly lit with a paved walkway, trees spread throughout the area, flowers blooming both on the ground and hanging above them, and also a small pond with a waterfall.

"I never would have thought a place like this existed in the tomb. It's so beautiful." Shulk said, "Are the guards not allowed in here?"

"They are, but not while they're on duty or if a member of the royal family is occupying the area. The guards and workers that maintain the plant life gave it the name, 'Verdant Sanctuary'." Melia replied.

Shulk took Melia's hand as they walked through the sanctuary. Deeper inside, a graveyard came into sight for past rulers and members of the Imperial Line.

Shulk followed Melia through the rows of tombstones until two came up that had Sorean and Kallian's names on them. He helped Melia lay down the grave blankets and noticed the guards gave them a third set.

Shulk looked over at Melia, who was staring at a gravesite next to them. Judging from her stare and the name written on the tombstone, Shulk guessed that it was her mother's grave.

"I'll give you some time alone." Shulk placed a comforting hand on Melia's shoulder then stepped back, far enough to give her some space but still be able to keep an eye on her.

Melia placed a set of flowers over her father and brother's graves and paid her respects, but she stayed by her mother's grave longer than the other two.

Melia placed the last set of flowers, then sat on her knees and looked to her mother's tombstone, "It's been a long time since I last visited, hasn't it, mother? I've been meaning to come see you, but it's been difficult with everything that's happened recently. I'm sure you would know what to do if you were still here. You always had a way of knowing when something was troubling me, and you always knew how to fix it and make me feel better. I just… I just wish there was a way you could be here, mom. I need your guidance more than even right now, and so many things have happened that I wish you could be here to see…"

Melia wiped the tears falling down her cheek, she even started to smile a bit, "I've gotten to see more of the world outside of Alcamoth, and I've met some wonderful people along the way. I can happily say that those people are now my closest friends, and there's one boy out of them who's even closer to me. His name is Shulk, and he's a Homs just like you. I know because of our different lifespans that we only have so much time together, but I want to spend as much of that time with him as I can. I love him with all my heart, and he means more to me than I think he realizes. Father and Kallian had the chance to meet him, maybe they can tell you about him now that you're all together again."

Melia stood up and could feel a slight breeze, but… there was also a faint sense of ether with it blowing in the wind.

"We're so proud of you." A whisper was heard as the breeze flew by her.

Melia gasped and her wings perked up, but just as quickly as it appeared, the breeze and the ether reading were gone. She could no longer hear that voice and frantically looked around for signs of anyone else nearby.

"Melia? Melia! What's wrong, Angel?" Shulk seen her panicked look and ran over.

"Shulk, did you feel that sudden change of wind or hear someone talking just now?" Melia asked urgently.

"What? No, I didn't feel or hear anything." Shulk said.

Melia took another desperate glance around the graveyard, then looked back at her family's tombstones.

 _Mom… was that you? But, if it was, then who did you mean by 'we'? …Sorean and Kallian?_

Melia broke out of her train of thought but decided not to tell Shulk just yet, thinking maybe she needed time to process what just happened first.

"Never mind, Shulk. Maybe I just need some rest." Melia said.

"With everything that's happened in the last few days, I can understand that. Are you ready to go?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded and Shulk protectively held her under his arm. She glanced back at the tombstones one last time before they went out of sight and the two exited the sanctuary.

Back at the barracks, Shulk stayed with Melia in her room. He was sitting up on the bed with his back against the board while Melia laid down with her head on his lap.

"Shulk, what do you believe happens after death?" Melia suddenly asked.

Shulk raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't really expecting to hear that, but… I'm not sure. When the Bionis was still around, we all believed that our ether would go back to the titan after we died. Now that the Bionis is gone, it's hard to say."

"Do you think there might be an afterlife, or that the souls of those who passed away still linger in our world?" Melia pressed.

"That's getting a little specific. How about this, what do _you_ think happens?" Shulk asked.

Melia paused to think on how to put it into words, "I'm sorry I brought this up so suddenly. I know it's not pleasant to talk about, it's just… when we were in the sanctuary, I heard someone talking to me. That's why I asked if you heard something too. That voice… it sounded like my mother, Shulk. I could recognize her voice, and she said, 'We're so proud of you'."

Shulk's eyes softened and he looked down.

"So, it happened to you too…" Shulk said quietly.

"What happened? What do you mean, Shulk?" Melia asked.

Shulk looked down at Melia with those same soft eyes, "Something similar happened to me in the Audience Chamber, when we were fighting Lorithia. I really thought I was going to die before you protected me with your reflection spell, and… I got to meet my parents, Melia. They said they would always watch over me and that they were proud of me, just like what you heard, and also a few other things."

Melia was left stunned but felt worried at the same time. Any time Shulk talked about his parents, the chapel, or that far into his past, it was usually followed by a panic attack.

Melia took his hand and held it close to her chest, "Are you okay, Shulk? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I'm fine, Melia. I promise." Shulk assured her.

Melia started to relax but didn't let go of his hand. She kept it close to her heart and rubbed her thumb over his hand.

"What else did they say?" Melia asked softly.

Shulk nervously squeezed her hand, "Their exact words were, 'Tell Melia that we would have loved to meet her too. We love you both and think you two are perfect for each other'."

Melia's heart skipped a beat and she let out a gasp as her hand reflexively squeezed back.

"They… they said that?" Melia asked.

"It was their exact words." Shulk said softly. He took his other hand and gently caressed Melia's cheek, "Maybe that voice you heard really was your mother, and maybe there is a place we go to after we die. Even after what happened to us both, we still might not know the answer to that. But what we know for sure is that they're watching over us, and they're proud of what they've seen. It might not mean as much coming from me over your mother, but I'm proud of you too, Angel. You've come a long way from when we first met."

Melia looked up at Shulk and smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to her, giving him a tender kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and Shulk pressed his forehead to hers.

"Thank you, Shulk, not just for what you said, but for everything you've done for me too. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you by my side. I love you, Shulk, I love you with all my heart." Melia said.

"And I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, you saved my life that day. I love you too, Melia, and I'll always be by your side." Shulk said back.

Shulk laid down on his back and Melia came closer, cuddling next to him.

"I should be getting ready soon. I had a meeting planned in the Audience Chamber to discuss reconstruction and allowing the citizens back in to Alcamoth. There's also a matter I'd like to have you present for, Shulk. Would you please come with me?" Melia asked.

Shulk raised an eyebrow, "Big meetings aren't exactly what I'm used to, but I'll come if you want me there."

Melia gave him another big hug before getting off the bed and leaving his room. They both showered and changed into their normal clothes, then Melia came back for him and they held hands as they walked to the palace.

"Do I look okay for this? What do I even say to them?" Shulk asked nervously.

Melia giggled, "You look fine, Shulk. You don't have to say much if you don't want to."

They took the transporter up to the higher floors and made their way to the throne room. Several High Entia were also present and talking amongst themselves. They seen Melia approaching and formed a vertical line on both sides of the walkway to the throne. They kneeled as Melia walked by and Shulk followed behind her up to the throne.

Shulk looked over the kneeled High Entia while they had their heads down, he could tell they were important figures and acting as her advisors, but he didn't know who they were or what they did specifically. In fact, the only face he could recognize was the captain.

Melia sat at the throne while Shulk was still studying the advisors.

"Shulk." Melia whispered. She knew that Shulk still felt nervous about coming and might not know what to do, so Melia made a gesture with her hand, telling him to stand next to the throne.

Shulk fixed his position and Melia took his hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"You'll be fine, Boo. Just try to relax." Melia whispered and smiled warmly.

Shulk tried to smile back through his nervousness. Melia then let go of his hand and looked back to her advisors.

"Thank you all for coming. You may now stand." Melia said.

The advisors stood back up and looked towards the throne.

"Pardon me, empress, but is the heir to the Monado needed to be here?" One advisor asked.

 _Thanks, as if I didn't feel like I was already out of place._

"Yes, Shulk is present for a matter I wanted to address before our business here is adjourned. Do we have a good estimation on the damage done to Alcamoth?" Melia replied.

"We do. We are cooperating with the other races to ensure a steady supply of materials for reconstruction, some have also voluntarily offered to assist with manual labor. Estimating roughly, the more severe repairs should be done in approximately two years. We also found that damage done to the residential districts has made some homes now unsafe to live in, so we will be focusing on housing repairs at the same time as other major repairs." Another advisor stated.

Shulk started to relax a little from seeing the relieved look on Melia's face.

"Do we have anywhere for those that lost their homes to stay until the repairs are made? And when will the citizens be allowed back in to the city?" Melia asked.

"No other Telethia have been found and the military have deemed the city safe. We will escort the citizens back in to Alcamoth starting tomorrow, and those that are waiting for repairs may stay at the barracks. Also, your highness, soldiers and volunteers from the other races have inquired about citizenship. What do you propose we do?" An advisor that was standing next to the captain asked.

"We are at a much shorter number of people after the Telethia invasion. Let them know that they may apply for citizenship, but they must go through the same process as everyone else, and I want priority to be given first to restoring existing citizens' homes." Melia replied.

"Understood, your highness. Rest assured, we will be working on restoration at the same time as other repairs like we mentioned, but their homes should not take as long to be rebuilt. Those that will be waiting in the barracks will not have a long delay." The advisor assured.

"Your highness." The captain spoke up, "We have come across some rather interesting details concerning the Telethia. Do you remember that child you escorted to the Ether Plant, Teelan? He was an apprentice to a geneticist before the fall of Alcamoth. His mentor passed away in the aftermath, but Teelan has expressed that he wants to continue his work. The boy lead us to a facility inside the tomb that was used for Telethia experiments. While searching through the lab, we came across unpublished research papers. It appears that his late mentor was searching for a way to reverse the Telethia mutation."

Shulk and Melia both looked at him like they couldn't believe what they just heard.

"We had that same look too." The captain said, noticing their expressions, "Myself and others that were science majors have read over his papers several times, there's no mistaking that was what he was trying to do."

"Knowledge like that could prove invaluable! If only we had known about this beforehand…" Melia said.

"His research is still incomplete, your highness. It may have proved useful, but there was no definitive way to know if it would have worked or not." The captain said.

"Is there any way we could look at those research papers too?" Shulk asked.

"We can send you both a copy of his papers. Be warned, however, some of his work seemed rather controversial, even border-lining what could be considered ethical. There was also no evidence of Teelan being involved with these experiments." The captain said.

Melia paused for a moment before answering.

"You may allow Teelan to continue this research. However, I want him kept under supervision and for him to clearly understand his boundaries. As valuable as it may prove, we cannot toss aside ethics or morality for the sake of progress." Melia said.

"Genetics isn't exactly my specialty, but is there any way I can help?" Shulk asked.

"That's not for me to decide." The captain replied.

"That would be _my_ decision." A female High Entia said. She was standing across from the captain, "I'm the head of the Ministry of Science and Innovational Technology, or M.S.I.T. If you wish to help, then I see no reason to deny you. We have plenty of room for all areas of expertise."

"Thank you." Shulk said.

"Now then, is there any other matters that need to be discussed?" Melia asked.

No one spoke up.

"Very well then. Now, I wanted to bring your attention as to why Shulk was brought here. Some of you are already aware of mine and Shulk's relationship, but I wanted to make it official. I have decided to take Shulk as my consort." Melia revealed.

Shulk briefly forgot his nervousness and looked at Melia in complete disbelief. Melia never told Shulk the reason for wanting him to come, but he never would have guessed it would be for that.

"That's wonderful news, your highness! Is he aware of a consort's duties?" An advisor asked.

"Shulk has done his own studying into what that implies. I'm sure he knows the importance of that role, and I will make sure there's no confusion." Melia replied.

"And do you agree to that, Shulk?" The advisor asked.

Shulk's nervousness resurfaced as everyone in the room set their eyes on him, with Melia also eagerly waiting for his answer.

Shulk took a second to compose himself, feeling confident as he faced the advisors.

"Yes, I do." Shulk answered.

Melia beamed and almost couldn't contain her excitement to hear those words. If the other officials weren't around, she probably would have leapt out of the throne and into his arms.

"Well then, congratulations to the both of you. I hope this is not inappropriate of me to ask, but have you decided on a second consort yet, your highness?" The advisor asked.

Shulk instantly started to feel off from hearing that. Knowing that the girl he loved would have to take someone else…

"I've decided not to take a second consort." Melia spoke up.

Everyone in attendance gawked at Melia, even Shulk, although it did help set his mind at ease.

"Empress, are you saying that you are going against the rules we've upheld after all these years?! The scriptures from our ancestors have always depicted taking two consorts!" The advisor blurted out.

"Putting your insubordinate tone aside…" Melia started to glare but quickly regained her composure, "From what we have translated from the old scriptures, those rules only applied to pure-blooded High Entia. Since I am Half-Homs, I am not bound to have a second consort unless I willingly choose to."

Melia's expression suddenly turned grim. Shulk recognized that look from before, it was the same dark and empty stare when they were in the tomb.

"Even if they did apply to me, there is no more pure-blooded High Entia that exist." Melia said softly and lowered her head.

"Forgive me, your highness." The advisor said.

Everyone lowered their heads for a moment of silence and reflection.

Melia lifted her head, "Whether we like it or not, our way of life has changed drastically. I'm certain that we will pull through this, but we must adapt if we wish to do so. If there aren't any other matters to be brought up, you are all free to leave."

Nobody else spoke up. The advisors kneeled and left the Audience Chamber, leaving only Shulk and Melia.

"Man, that was stressful." Shulk said and let out a sigh of relief that it was over.

"Don't worry, Shulk, you did well." Melia assured him.

"So did you, especially keeping that consort bit under control. I don't know how you do it." Shulk praised.

"It's what I was raised to do." Melia said, but started to look nervous, "I hope I didn't throw the consort title on you prematurely."

Shulk stood in front of the throne and leaned down. He caressed Melia's cheek, then moved closer and kissed her deeply.

Melia blushed and put her arms around Shulk as she returned the kiss. After they broke the kiss, Shulk pulled her in to a tight embrace.

"You didn't, I've actually been waiting to hear that." Shulk said.

Melia let out a small relived laugh and they broke apart.

"I know you had books about the Imperial Lineage and they went into detail on what a consort is. Was there anything else you wanted to know about it?" Melia asked.

"I think I have a good grasp on what it means, but does anything come with the title?" Shulk asked.

"Not necessarily. You'll share the same rank and social status that I do, but you won't have authority since a consort is not crowned. You'll still be recognized as royalty and treated as such, however." Melia answered.

"Okay, that's all I needed to know." Shulk said.

They left the throne room and went back to their barracks. It was already getting late and Shulk was in his room, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. After everything that happened today, Shulk felt like he couldn't sleep as the events played over again in his mind, especially about now being Melia's consort.

Shulk heard a knock at his door and went to answer it, seeing that it was Melia.

Shulk gave her a hug and kissed her, "Hey you, what's up?"

"I couldn't sleep and was going to go for a walk, I just came by to see if you wanted to join me." Melia replied.

"So it's not just me. Sure, I'll come with you, I couldn't sleep either." Shulk said.

Shulk changed his clothes and left the barracks with Melia. She held his hand and took him back in to Alcamoth. Other than construction sites that could be seen in the distance, there was no one else around. The guards have deemed the city safe so there was no more need to patrol at night, and the citizens wouldn't be brought back in until tomorrow morning. It was just the two of them with the city to themselves.

"Are you sure we should be here, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"You don't need to ask that, Shulk. This is your home now, just as much as it is mine." Melia replied.

"My home…" Shulk couldn't help but smile as he said it out loud.

Melia lead him into the palace and up to the higher floors. They went in the opposite direction of the Audience Chamber this time and were met with an open balcony high enough to see the entire city from down below.

"I always liked the look of this place, but seeing it from this high up is incredible!" Shulk said.

"I'm glad you like it. This is where I would sometimes come to think or clear my head." Melia said.

"Like what? What would you have thought about?" Shulk asked.

"If I had to make heavy-handed decisions on how to govern the High Entia, I would either come here or stay in the garden at the Villa. And, before I met you and the others, I sometimes thought about what the world outside the city would be like. The view of Alcamoth and the nice breeze from this high up made my worries just melt away." Melia answered.

"I can see why." Shulk commented.

Melia put Shulk's arm over her shoulder and nuzzled closer to him. She looked up and seen Shulk smiling and staring out in the distance.

"What is it, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just noticed that you can see the Villa from up here." Shulk said and pointed.

Melia looked over and smiled along with him.

"Our new home together." Melia mused.

"I still can't believe it, to be honest. Starting tomorrow, that's where we'll be." Shulk said. He kissed the top of Melia's head, "It's a lot to take in, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Neither would I. Nothing could make me happier than having you here with me, Shulk. I love you so much." Melia mused.

"I love you too, Melia." Shulk said back.

They shared a passionate kiss under the starry sky. Melia stayed nuzzled close to him and looked at the city down below, "With you by my side, we'll turn Alcamoth into a place that both the High Entia and our friends will take pride in once they return."


	12. Royal Treatment

Things were starting to take a turn for the better around Alcamoth: Reconstruction was underway, the citizens were settling back into their homes, and Shulk and Melia found themselves with plenty of work to keep them busy. While Melia fulfilled her duties as leader of the High Entia, Shulk juggled between helping with reconstruction and his work with M.S.I.T.

Melia finished her work for the day and went back to the Villa around late afternoon. Shulk had been living with her for a week now, but the thought of coming home and seeing him there would still make her blush and smile warmly on the walks back.

"I'm exhausted." Melia said out loud, letting out a sigh as she closed the front door.

"Not too exhausted to go out, are you?"

Shulk came home early and was waiting for Melia to get back. He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek, keeping one hand behind his back.

"Hey beautiful, long day?" Shulk asked.

"Very long." Melia answered and hugged him back, "I'm not too tired to go out. What did you have in mind?"

Shulk smiled, "It's a surprise, you'll see. Oh, I got you something."

Shulk pulled out what he was hiding behind his back, revealing a small box of chocolate in the shape of a heart.

"That's so sweet of you!" Melia took the box from him and pecked his cheek. She sat down and ate a few pieces from the box, then looked up at Shulk.

"Do you mind if I take a shower and do a few things before we go?" Melia asked.

"Do whatever you need. You don't have to dress fancy either, just wear something comfortable." Shulk replied.

Melia's Villa was more modern-styled and had the master bath connected to their bedroom along with a walk-in closet. After her shower, Melia laid some clothes down to make an outfit, but nothing was catching her eye.

"Something wrong?" Shulk asked, leaning against the closet door.

"Just having trouble deciding." Melia answered.

Shulk walked over and looked at all the outfits she had laid out, "Like I said earlier, just be comfortable. Here, try this."

Shulk picked out a few things and left for Melia to change. She came out wearing a pair of jeans, black boots, and a light gray top with a black leather jacket. She also wore her hair down and straightened it, thinking it matched better instead of her usual curled hair.

"How do I look?" Melia asked a bit sheepishly.

Shulk chuckled, "I don't think I've ever seen you dressed all casually. It looks cute."

Melia was already blushing but turned slightly redder as Shulk came closer to get a better look at her.

"Hm, it's missing something, though." Shulk commented.

"Hold on, I might have something." Melia said.

Melia had a desk with a mirror where she kept all her jewelry, make up, and other accessories. She pulled a pair of small studded earrings out from the drawer and put them on, then walked back over to Shulk.

"How about now?" Melia asked.

"Perfect!" Shulk answered.

Melia went back over to the mirror for a second look and smiled.

 _It's definitely something different, but I kind of like it. It's a nice change from my usual, more formal attire._

Shulk came up and hugged her from behind, "Ready to go?"

Melia nodded and Shulk took her hand as they left the Villa. It was starting to get dark and the street lights turned on, but everything still seemed bright and lively as the two walked through Alcamoth's districts. Both current and soon-to-be citizens were laughing amongst themselves while they ate and drank together outside, others were reconstruction workers passing by, and some were even kids getting more playing time in before their curfew. With all the people around and the upbeat atmosphere, outsiders would have never guessed that a war actually broke out here such a short time ago.

The Homs and High Entia couple arrived at the main entrance transporter and passed through, leading back to the hovering reefs.

 _So we're going somewhere outside Alcamoth?_

Melia was looking around and trying to guess where Shulk was taking her as they walked through the city, but Shulk would only smirk and refuse to tell her any time she asked. Now that they were outside Alcamoth, she didn't have the slightest clue on where they were going.

On the other end of the transporter was a docked ship with an Imperial Guard stationed by it, just a few feet away from them.

"Right this way, sir." The guard said to Shulk.

Melia followed behind Shulk and they boarded the ship. She looked out the window as they gained altitude, briefly forgetting her curiosity as she gazed outside. Even from an aerial view she could see how bright and prosperous her beloved city looked at night. It wasn't just Alcamoth either, the outside of the barracks at the Ether Plant were also very populated, and the light from the stars gave the other reefs a peaceful glow.

The ship lowered altitude at Latael Shore and docked near the transporter to the reefs. Shulk let Melia exit first and looked back to the pilot.

"You don't have to stay here, we can make our own way back to Alcamoth." Shulk said.

"Understood." The pilot replied.

Shulk stepped off the ship and stood beside Melia as the pilot took off, heading back towards the city.

There was a beach only a short distance away from where they landed. Shulk took Melia's hand and they walked along the coastline, the waves gently crashing along the shore close by.

"Certainly has come a long way, huh?" Shulk asked.

"It has. It's only been a week, but everyone seems happy with the progress already made in Alcamoth." Melia answered and looked towards the city.

"Well, that too, but I meant more about _us._ I honestly didn't think you liked me or any of the others when we first met, but look where we are now." Shulk corrected.

"Oh, that's what you meant. I was acting imprudently after losing my friends to that rampaging Telethia in Makna Forest, I didn't mean to take it out on you all. Also… I'm sorry for what I did to you when we first met." Melia said, sounding a little ashamed.

Shulk started to laugh after he remembered her slapping him, "You don't have to apologize, I wasn't bringing it up to try and criticize you. It's just that we've been travelling together for so long, been to so many places we probably never would have gotten to see. I'm glad you stuck around with us to experience all of it, and I'm really happy to have met you, Melia."

Melia felt color reach her cheeks, "I'm happy to have met you too, Shulk. You and everyone else have had such an impact on my life, I wouldn't trade that for anything else."

Melia looked down at the ground as they walked, "Though, if I can be honest, I've always been a bit jealous."

"Jealous? What would you have to feel jealous about?" Shulk asked.

"You and the others have always been so at ease when you're in each other's company. You get to be yourselves, and… I felt like I didn't have that same luxury. I don't often feel that way around you, but sometimes I would doubt if I really fit in with everyone else. At times I assumed it was because of my upbringing and would wonder what it would be like if I wasn't royalty…" Melia admitted.

Shulk tightened his grip on Melia's hand, "Melia, you don't have to be thinking that way. Even if you weren't royalty, it wouldn't change the fact that we all care about you. You could sit here and tell me every last detail of what you would want to change about yourself, but the one thing that would never change is that I love you."

Melia's heart skipped a beat, and with what felt like impulse alone, she turned to Shulk and kissed him, pulling him into a tight embrace after they broke the kiss.

"I love you too, Shulk." Melia mused.

Shulk put his arm over Melia's shoulder, letting her stay nuzzled against him as they continued walking along the coastline.

"Here we are!" Shulk said and stopped walking after a short while.

Melia slightly tilted her head and looked confused.

 _But there's nothing here?_

There was a tall-standing rock a few feet away from them and Shulk walked behind it. He reappeared with a few things: A basket in one hand, an ether lamp in the other, and a large rolled up blanket under his arm.

 _A picnic by the beach? Certainly not what I was expecting, but why have it at night?_

Melia was trying to piece together the reason while Shulk sprawled the blanket over the grass and set the ether lamp to a dim light.

 _Just when you give me an answer, Shulk, you only leave me with more questions…_

"You just gonna stand there?" Shulk smiled and patted a spot next to him on the blanket.

Melia gave up on trying to figure it out and sat down next to Shulk. He opened the basket and on top was loaves of bread to make subs, along with containers of meat and veggies underneath, then some drinks and small snacks near the bottom.

"Here, I'll make yours. What do you want on it, Angel?" Shulk asked.

Melia listed off what she wanted and Shulk got started making one for the both of them.

As they were eating, Melia reached her hand into the basket for a drink. She found a bottle of iced tea near the bottom, but also felt a strange object next to it brush against her hand.

"What's this?" Melia asked.

"Oh, let me see that." Shulk took the object out of the basket and aimed it upward, making a red flare shoot out of it and into the sky.

"A flare gun? Shulk, why would you need a-" Melia was cut off by a loud blast in the distance. The sound made her jump and reflexively latch on to Shulk.

"It's all right, Melia. Look up." Shulk said.

Melia kept her grip on Shulk and looked up to the sky. She seen small, dim lights soar into the air before bursting into multiple colors, making the same booming sound she heard earlier.

"Fireworks?" Melia asked.

Shulk put an arm around Melia and leaned back, letting Melia rest her head on his chest while he laid down on the blanket.

"You've been so stressed lately with the fighting to reclaim the city and all the work being done towards reconstruction. I wanted to surprise you and give you a night to relax." Shulk said.

"You did all of this for me?" Melia asked, looking up at him with hearts in her eyes.

"Of course I did. You deserve it after everything that's happened. Besides, I haven't seen a _real_ smile on your face in a while. I wanted to see that happen again, you look so beautiful when you have one on." Shulk answered.

Melia started to blush and hid her face. Shulk gently cupped her chin and lifted her head back up, revealing a bright smile.

"That's all I wanted to see." Shulk was also blushing and smiled back as his hand moved up, caressing Melia's cheek.

Melia's smile only grew as she moved closer and kissed him while the fireworks continued to shoot off. She then laid back down and the two cuddled on the blanket, looking back up to the sky at the display of fireworks.

The fireworks eventually stopped and they waited for a minute to see if they were launching any more, but nothing happened.

"Looks like that was it." Melia said and sat up.

"It doesn't have to be." Shulk said, still laying down.

"You actually have _more_ planned?" Melia jokingly asked.

"Just one more thing. It's still pretty nice out, swimming sounds kind of good." Shulk said and sat up.

"But we don't have bathing suits." Melia pointed out.

"Got that covered too. That same spot I grabbed all this stuff from, there's another bag back there with bathing suits and a couple towels." Shulk said and pointed behind him.

"You plan pretty far ahead, don't you?" Melia commented.

"I've got a few more things in mind, but that's for another time. So, what do you say?" Shulk asked.

Melia thought it over for a few moments before she answered.

"Okay, let's go!" She said.

Shulk stood up, "Alright. We can change back there while we're at it. I'll go first."

Shulk went behind the rock to change and came back out shortly after, wearing a black bathing suit that sat a few inches above the knee.

Melia had a suggestive look on her face and was eyeing Shulk up and down as he came back over. Shulk noticed she was biting her lip and jokingly started to flex and pose.

"See something you like?" Shulk asked.

"Yes, I do." Melia said back with a small laugh.

Shulk laughed along, "Alright, your turn."

Melia walked up to Shulk before she went to change. She put her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes, blushing as she leaned in and kissed him deeply.

Melia broke the kiss and put a finger up to Shulk's lips.

"No peeking~" She cooed.

"Do I seem like the kind of guy to do that, Melia?" Shulk playfully scoffed and batted her hand away.

"You can be pretty unpredictable when you want to be, so it's hard to tell." Melia teased.

"Just go change already." Shulk playfully shot back.

Melia could feel a set of eyes on her as she was walking away. She looked behind her and followed Shulk's gaze. Her curves were more visible with her new outfit and she caught Shulk staring at her ass, but instead of calling him out on it, she put on a smirk and wiggled her hips a little to spur him on.

"See something you like, Shulk?~" Melia purred.

Shulk turned red and quickly looked away, knowing he was caught staring.

Melia giggled, "I don't mind~ Maybe you'll get a better view after I change~"

Melia didn't realize it, but she had a sway in her hips as she kept walking to go change. When she was behind the rock and out of Shulk's sight, Melia rested her back against it and tried to calm her husked breathing. They haven't been intimate since they were staying with Reyn and Sharla; With everything that's happened since then, and now all the work that still needs to be done restoring Alcamoth, they haven't had much time for themselves lately. Now that they were alone could Melia realize how badly she wanted him- No, _needed him._ Her thighs were rubbing together and she could feel how wet she was getting at just the thought of it.

Once Melia calmed down, she changed into the swimsuit Shulk packed for her and stepped out from behind the rock. Shulk was blushing even more at the sight of her as she came back over. He wasn't sure what to pack for her so he went with something similar to what she normally wore, but she still looked adorable in it. It was a two-piece, close to the same color as her hair and had trims of purple.

"What do you think, Shulk?~" Melia asked, a hint of a suggestive tone in her voice.

Shulk started to look flustered and turned his head away.

"It looks good on you." He murmured.

Either because she wasn't satisfied with his answer or just to keep spurring him on, Melia cupped Shulk's chin and moved his head back over to her before placing her arms around his neck. Her breasts were more noticeable in the bikini she was wearing, and she was aware of that by how she angled Shulk's head, keeping her face in Shulk's vision while also subtly giving him a nice view of her cleavage.

"How about the way it feels?~" Melia purred and took Shulk's hands, guiding them around her slim body before placing them at her hips.

Shulk was loving the feel of her curves and put on a smoldering grin, moving his hands behind her and giving her ass a tight squeeze as he pulled her closer.

"I love it~" Shulk purred.

Now feeling satisfied with his answer, Melia gave a small giggle and moved her lips closer, kissing him passionately and letting Shulk put his hands wherever he wanted.

Melia let out a faint, seductive moan into the kiss, but broke it and took Shulk's hand before they got too carried away.

"Come on, let's go." Melia said, a teasing smile on her face.

Shulk could tell what Melia was trying to do and shot her another smoldering grin. He figured this was Melia's way of hinting at the tension building up between the two of them, but he was fully aware of it too.

Melia noticed the look Shulk was giving her and eagerly bit her lip, but she tried to suppress the lustful thoughts filling her head before she got too riled up as they headed for the water, stopping about waist-deep.

"The water feels great. I'm going out a bit deeper, you coming?" Shulk asked.

"I will in a minute, I just need to get used to the water." Melia replied.

"I know just the thing that'll help!" Before Melia could react, Shulk threw his arms around her and jumped into the deeper water.

Melia let out a startled yelp, but it was no use as they both went under the water with a big splash. They resurfaced and Shulk was laughing while Melia was wiping her eyes.

"That wasn't funny, Shulk!" Melia exclaimed.

"You said you needed to get used to the water, didn't you?" Shulk asked, still laughing.

Shulk finally got it out of his system and looked over at Melia, who was giving him an unamused glare.

"Hey, you're not mad at me, are you?" Shulk asked, an apologetic look on his face as he swam over to her.

Melia suddenly had an idea and put on a softer look, trying to hide the conniving grin that was about to appear on her face.

"No, I'm not mad at you, Boo." Melia said softly and wrapped her arms around Shulk's neck.

Shulk started to lower his guard and placed his hands on Melia's waist, something about those gorgeous teal eyes of hers would always help get rid of his worries as he gazed into them.

Melia gazed back into his and pulled him closer.

"Come here~" Melia mused.

The two closed their eyes as they leaned in for a kiss, but Melia slightly opened an eye before their lips met. Seeing that Shulk wasn't looking, Melia quickly moved an arm off his neck and back into the water, splashing Shulk right in his face.

Shulk jumped back and was coughing from water getting in his mouth, while Melia was snickering with her hand covering her mouth.

"Okay, even what I did wasn't that dirty!" Shulk protested.

"True, but we are even now." Melia shot back, now showing her conniving grin.

Shulk returned the grin, "Oh, so it's like that? Alright, this means war!"

Melia back-peddled to keep Shulk at a distance as they splashed back and forth, but he lunged forward and got his arms around her, making Melia let out an eek as Shulk lifted her over his head.

"Shulk, don't!" Melia pleaded.

"You ain't talking your way out of this one, Melia. You're going down!" Shulk shot back, readying his arms and throwing Melia back under the water.

Melia was smiling brightly as she traveled further beneath the surface, her hair flowing freely as she felt like she could finally unwind, even being able to physically feel her stress leaving.

Melia felt something against her back and also brushing up against her cheek. She opened her eyes and started to blush; Shulk was underwater with her, one arm wrapped behind her while caressing her cheek with the other.

Melia pulled him closer and they shared a kiss before resurfacing to catch their breath. She swam over to Shulk and hugged him tightly, her legs also wrapped around him.

"I love you so much." Melia mused.

"I love you too, Angel, with all my heart." Shulk said and hugged her back.

After swimming for a bit longer, the two got out of the water and dried off. They changed back into their clothes and packed everything up, holding hands as they walked back home.

"I'm so tired. I might take a shower and go right to bed." Melia said, letting out an exhausted sigh as her and Shulk walked in the front door of the Villa.

"Yeah, I could use one too. You can go first, Angel." Shulk said.

Shulk plopped himself onto their bed, but Melia stopped at the bathroom doorframe, nervously biting her lip before she looked back at Shulk.

"Actually, Shulk… did you want to come with me?" Melia asked.

Shulk's ears perked up a bit in surprise before revealing his infamous grin, looking pretty interested in her offer.

"Yeah, sure." Shulk tried to play it off as he followed behind Melia into the bathroom.

Shulk shut the door behind them and Melia didn't waste any time, shoving him against the door and kissing him deeply as they stripped each other down.

Melia broke the kiss and opened the glass shower door, taking Shulk's hand as they stepped inside. She leaned over slightly to turn the lever and get the water started, then felt a jolt shoot up her body from Shulk slapping her ass while she was turned around.

Melia looked back over at Shulk and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Sorry, couldn't help it~" Shulk purred and put his hands on Melia's hips.

"I never said there was a problem~" Melia purred.

Shulk gave Melia's ass another slap and a firm squeeze as he pulled her closer, giving her a rough, passionate kiss as their lips met.

Melia broke the kiss and kept Shulk held in a tight embrace as the hot water ran over them, enveloping the two in a thin cloud of steam.

"Thank you, Shulk. A night out like this was exactly what I needed." Melia mused.

"Glad to hear that you had fun. Anything to make you smile, Angel." Shulk said.

"It did." Melia replied, "You know, this is pretty similar to how I pictured it would be living together."

"I've wondered what it would be like too after our talk about it, both when we were living with Reyn and Sharla, and even during the reclamation of Alcamoth." Shulk admitted, even smiling as he reminisced, "I'd still say I love it more with just us two, but it wasn't all that bad when we were staying in Colony 6."

Melia started to trace her finger over Shulk's chest, "I enjoyed it too, but there's some advantages living here than in Colony 6."

"Yeah? Like what?" Shulk asked.

Melia started to giggle mischievously and pinned Shulk against the shower glass.

"You said it yourself, it's just the two of us now~" Melia purred.

Shulk started to catch on and pulled Melia closer, their hips pressed against each other as they locked eyes.

"No more having to worry about anyone interrupting us~" Shulk cooed.

Melia grinned and moved closer to Shulk's ear, making a shiver go up his spine from her breath tickling his ear.

"How about we recreate the magic of that night together in Colony 6?~" Melia whispered.

Melia's fingers ghosted over Shulk's neck as she came closer, kissing him tenderly and passionately as they continued into the night.


	13. Sentiment

A year and a half has passed since Alcamoth was reclaimed and the city has almost completely recovered from the war. The population is continuing to rise, most of the major repairs were done, and Melia's advice to adapt was taken into consideration as the city itself has been expanding and adding new structures as it grew in size.

Shulk's help with reconstruction and technological advancements he assisted with at M.S.I.T also aided in the growth of his new home. He had been gaining quite a reputation with the citizens, and even rumors began circulating after Shulk announced that he would be spending less time on reconstruction to be around Melia more and learn about the inner-workings of the city.

Alcamoth was not the only place in this new world that was advancing either. In the time that had passed, the High Entia and Machina have agreed to share their knowledge with the other cities and larger settlements, resulting in vast quality of life improvements, and Shulk and Melia's friends have been taking steps forward in their own lives.

Their friends were all currently living in Colony 9, still keeping in touch with each other. Dunban and Fiora already had a place to live in the colony, while Reyn and Sharla packed all their things and moved out of Colony 6, now staying at Reyn's old house back in Colony 9. Both Reyn and Dunban took Colonel Vangarre's job offer, and although they were given different positions, they still worked closely with each other. Sharla was also working part time while studying at a local university, hoping to apply to medical school once she met the requirements and also when her and Reyn's living arrangements were more stable, knowing for sure if they were going to be either staying in Colony 9 or moving back to Colony 6.

Everything seemed to be going well, a normal day like any other, but they all remembered a certain event was coming up in two days from now, Melia's birthday.

"I think we should go and surprise 'em!" Reyn suggested. He and the others had some free time and were all hanging out at Dunban's house.

"I think that's a great idea! But can we all get time off to go?" Sharla asked.

"With how much me and Dunban have been busting our backs for Vangarre, I think we can get him to give us some time off." Reyn answered.

"You're not much of a sweet-talker, Reyn. I think you should let me handle talking to him." Dunban spoke up.

"What about you, Fiora? You up for a road trip?" Sharla asked.

"I don't think I'll have much trouble with getting time off. I'd love to see them again too." She replied.

While Fiora was originally undecided, she kept herself busy by volunteering at an orphanage a short distance away from Colony 9. Ever since her rescue mission with Dunban in the fight for Alcamoth, she's wanted to help those that were less fortunate in any way that she could, and especially had a soft spot for children and families that were affected by war. After volunteering there for a few months, they noticed how well Fiora got along with the kids and was offered a paying job.

"I would too, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they've done with Alcamoth after all this time." Sharla said.

"Alright, let's do it! We can decide where to meet up tomorrow and head out!" Reyn said.

They spent the rest of the day shopping and met up the next morning at the Military District with wrapped gifts and things they thought they would need for their trip.

"We should start making tracks." Reyn said and threw his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, we don't want to get there too late." Sharla added.

"No need to worry about that." Dunban said with a smirk, "Why do you think I told you all to meet me at the base? Not only did I get Reyn and I a few days off, I also hitched us a ride with a caravan that was heading to Alcamoth to deliver more materials. It'll only take us a few hours to get there."

"Way to work your magic there, Dunban. I guess letting you do the talking was the right call." Sharla praised.

"I just followed up on what Reyn said earlier about busting our backs, not really anything special." Dunban crossed his arms, still wearing that smirk.

After a few hours, the Imperial Capital came into sight. They hopped off the caravan and entered the city on foot, taking in the sights while they searched for Shulk.

"Those two really managed to turn this place around." Sharla smiled.

"Yeah, no kidding. Do they even need any more of this stuff everyone's sending them?" Reyn added.

"It must be for the other districts, or maybe adding some stuff to the city while they're rebuilding. I don't know if it's just me, but this place actually looks a bit bigger than I remember it." Dunban commented.

A Hom's in a guard uniform walked past the group and Reyn put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Yo, boss man, know where we can find Shulk?" Reyn asked.

"Shulk?" The guard replied.

"Y'know, the guy with the Monado?" Reyn asked again.

"The Monado? Oh, you must mean the consort." The guard answered.

"The who? Look pal, I think we're talking about two different people here." Reyn said.

"Then _you_ must be the one who's confused here, 'pal'. The wielder of the Monado _is_ the consort." The guard shot back, starting to sound impatient.

"Wait, what?" Reyn took a step back in shock and Sharla stepped in to do the talking.

"Okay then, let's rephrase that question. Do you know where we can find the consort?" Sharla asked.

"Do you have business with him?" The guard cautiously asked.

"We do. We know him more personally, that must have been why there was some confusion." Dunban spoke up.

"I see. Sorry, I recently moved here and just started this job not too long ago, still trying to remember who everyone is. He should be at our technological institute right now. To get there, go up to the second floor and use the transporter on the southwest side of the outer ring. There should be signs to guide you the rest of the way from there, I could also escort you if you'd like." The guard offered.

"That's all right, we'll find our own way there." Sharla replied.

After thanking the guard, the four of them made their way to the upper floor of Alcamoth.

"I'm actually glad that guy didn't tag along." Reyn muttered.

"You weren't exactly making it easy for him, Reyn." Sharla said, "Besides, we were supposed to surprise them, remember? A guard escorting us there might have given it away."

Following the guard's directions, they soon found themselves at a building with a sign out front that read, "Ministry of Science and Innovational Technology."

"Quite a mouthful with a name like that." Reyn commented.

"I'm guessing this is it." Dunban said.

They walked inside and looked around the main lobby. A blonde haired High Entia girl was sitting at the information desk and came over to them, seeing the confused looks on their faces.

"Welcome to M.S.I.T. I'm Denise, is there something I can help you with?" She asked.

"Um, yes. We're here to see Shulk- I mean the consort. A guard told us that he'd be here?" Sharla asked.

"I'll take you to him, follow me." Denise said.

She took them to the second floor and Reyn and Dunban peeked into the windows of rooms as they walked down the hallway, watching the people inside conducting experiments.

"A place like this must be heaven for Shulk. That kid can work on anything he could imagine in here." Dunban chuckled.

"You must know the consort pretty well if you all keep referring to him by his first name." Denise commented.

"We do. We've known him for quite a while, actually. Reyn and my little sister grew up with him." Dunban replied.

Dunban walked alongside Denise and the two got lost in their own chatting while she guided them around the facility. The others didn't seem to mind it, even grinning at how well she and Dunban were getting along so quickly.

The group suddenly came to a halt after Denise stopped at one of the doors.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait out here. What they're working on inside is classified and I need their permission before I let you in." Denise said.

"That's fine, go ahead." Dunban replied.

Everyone waited outside while Denise stepped in.

"What gives? We have to sit outside and wait just to see our old pal?" Reyn asked.

"She's just doing her job, Reyn." Dunban said and stroked his beard, "She mentioned something in there being classified, so that's probably what it's about. I wonder what it could be, though?"

"It could be anything, knowing Shulk." Sharla commented.

"By the way, Dunban, I seen the way you were looking at that girl while she was taking us here~" Fiora teased.

"Who, Denise? I don't know what you're talking about." Dunban said, sounding pretty quick to defend it.

"Oh yeah? Then why are your cheeks red?~" Fiora kept teasing him and pinched at his cheek.

"Wait, they are?" Sharla leaned closer to see Dunban blushing, "Aww, that's so cute!"

"Don't be getting in your brother's business, Fiora." Dunban said and batted her hand away.

Denise came back out shortly after, "You can come in."

The room inside was massive, much bigger than they were expecting it to be. It had office spaces broken into other small rooms and countless lab testing machines, but what really stood out was the rows of cylindrical tubes with strange fluids and Telethia carcasses inside.

"What the hell are they planning on doing with these…" Reyn muttered.

"I don't think I want to know, but classified definitely fits whatever's going on here…" Sharla quietly replied.

The group felt a chill go up their spines and shuddered as they walked past the carcasses, but Denise didn't seem phased and guided them into one of the offices in the back.

"Here they are, sir." Denise said.

"Thanks, Denise." Even though they couldn't see him because the back of his chair was turned to them, they could tell that voice was Shulk's.

Denise went to leave the room but stopped at the door as she and Dunban glanced at each other, both of them blushing.

"Maybe I'll see you around some time?" Dunban asked.

"Maybe you will." Denise said back, giving Dunban a small smile before she left.

Dunban looked back over and noticed Fiora smirking at him, her hands also clasped behind her back and playfully swaying side to side.

"What?" Dunban asked defensively.

"Oh, nothing~" Fiora replied.

Shulk was too busy with what he was doing to notice their bickering. He finished what he was writing down and turned his chair, jumping back at the sight of his friends standing there.

"Guys?! What are you doing here?" Shulk asked.

"Well, nice to see you too after all this time, Shulk. You don't come visit your old buddies anymore, not even a letter to tell us how you're doing…" Reyn joked.

"We also remembered that Melia's birthday was coming up. We wanted to come by and surprise you guys, maybe check out what's been going on around Alcamoth too while we were at it." Sharla added.

"Well you certainly got the surprise part down." Shulk chuckled.

"We got a bit of a surprise about _you_ too. Heard you're some kinda big shot around here now." Sharla smirked.

"How so?" Shulk asked.

"Don't play dumb with us, Shulk." Fiora jokingly pressed, "We had to wait outside and get clearance just to even come in here, that should be saying something. But we weren't talking about just your work. Almost nobody here refers to you by your first name anymore, they either call you sir or… consort?"

"Oh, you mean that? Melia and I met with a few other people and we went over all the damage done to the city. While we were talking, the captain mentioned that he found unfinished research that could reverse the Telethia mutation. That's what we're doing here, and probably why you had to get permission since it's still classified." Shulk explained.

"Wait, seriously?! When did this happen?" Sharla asked.

"Right after you guys left. The work we've been putting into it has been going on for a while, but this building is still relatively new. This place was damaged quite a bit during the Telethia invasion, and that unfinished research I mentioned was originally done in a lab inside the High Entia Tomb. Since the Tomb is off-limits to most people, we packed up everything we could from there and moved it to a private university that M.S.I.T owned. It wasn't really damaged over there, they had all the equipment we could've needed, and it was owned by the same people, so we could still keep everything classified and work over there while we waited for this building to be repaired. After it was done, we moved everything again and have been working here ever since." Shulk answered.

"And the consort part?" Fiora asked again, noticing he tried to avoid it.

Shulk let out a reluctant sigh under his breath. He knew about Fiora's feelings back then, but he wasn't sure if she still felt that way after all this time and was hoping to avoid it entirely, not wanting to hurt her.

"That's also true." Shulk said softly, "It came up as a bit of a surprise, even to me, but Melia asked for me to be her consort during that same meeting and I said yes. I've been her consort for as long as you guys have been gone."

"I… I see…" Fiora said.

Even someone as oblivious as Shulk could feel how tense the room was getting with his reveal.

"Speaking of which, Melia doesn't know you guys are here yet, does she?" Shulk asked, trying to change the subject.

"Nope. We came looking straight for you after we got here." Sharla answered.

"Alright. We've got some time before Melia gets back home, I can take the rest of the day off and we'll get something ready for her." Shulk said.

They all followed Shulk out and he gave them a small tour around the newly-restored city while they shopped around. After grabbing some supplies, they headed for the Villa to get everything prepared and hung out for a bit while they waited for Melia to get back.

Shortly after, the front door opened and everyone jumped at the sound of Melia's voice.

"Shulk, are you home?" Melia called out.

"Yeah, I'm in here!" Shulk yelled back.

Everyone hid away while Shulk hurried over to greet her at the door.

"Hey, Angel! Happy birthday!" Shulk said, giving Melia a tight hug and kissed her cheek.

"You're certainly excited about it." Melia commented with a small laugh.

"Thank you, Shulk, but you know my birthday isn't until tomorrow." Melia pointed out after they broke apart.

"I know, but I have something for you, and it can't exactly wait until then." Shulk said eagerly.

"Why not? What is it?" She asked.

"You'll see. No peeking!" Shulk walked behind Melia and covered her eyes, guiding her into the living room.

"Ready?~" Shulk asked.

"Mhm!" Melia nodded back. She was smiling and could feel her heart beating faster with excitement.

"Alright. Come on out, you guys!" Shulk called out.

Shulk moved his hands away and everyone let off a set of pull-string fireworks, streams of confetti launching into the air as they jumped out of their hiding spots.

"Surprise!" They all shouted.

Melia jumped and took a step back. She could see a bunch of balloons hanging from the ceiling, party decorations spread throughout the living room, and also a set of tables behind her friends. One of the tables had trays of food that Fiora prepared, while the other had their presents stacked next to a cake with "Happy birthday Melia" written on it.

"You… you all remembered?" Melia asked, still in shock.

"Of course we did! What, you thought we would just forget about you?" Sharla said and walked over, giving Melia a big hug.

"Well, all of us are here except the fuzz ball." Reyn pointed out.

"It seems he's still out traveling, but he left you a present and a card. A Nopon courier gave me them and Riki must have figured we would give you his gift next time we seen you." Dunban added.

"How sweet of him. I'm sure he'll come visit when he returns, but I'm still happy to see you all." Melia smiled.

They all sat down to eat and were talking nonstop, joking around as if they never left and were catching up on what they've been doing.

"So, birthday girl, had anything planned you wanted to do today?" Sharla asked.

"Actually, I did. I wanted to spend the day in Valak Mountain." Melia replied.

"Not that I have a problem with going there, but I don't think we packed anything for the cold." Reyn said, even shivering as he pictured the mountains in his head.

"We can get you all some clothing better suited for the cold before we go. We already live in places where it's warm all year round, so why not try something different? There's plenty for us to do in the colder climates, like snowboarding or ice skating." Melia said.

"It's your birthday, yet you're the one spoiling us." Sharla joked.

"Would you rather freeze yourselves solid?" Melia playfully shot back.

"I dunno, I think I'd make a pretty good looking ice sculpture." Reyn said and posed.

"If you say so, Reyn." Sharla chuckled, "If birthday girl wants to go, then that's what we'll do. Want to head out after you open your gifts, Melia?"

Melia nodded and they all gathered around to watch her open the gifts after they ate. Dunban remembered that she was eyeing a few books and novels when they were walking around the districts before they left, so he bought them for her. Fiora got her some more casual, Homs-styled dresses along with jewelry and other cosmetics to match the outfits.

Melia opened Riki's card first, seeing a picture he drew with the two of them together in Makna Forest. She then opened the box and inside was a Nopon-made floral headdress, similar to the one Riki drew in his card. She smiled and tried on the headdress.

"It looks cute on you, Melia!" Shulk commented.

The others gave agreeing smiles and Melia kept the headdress on while she opened the rest, but she looked a bit confused when she got to Reyn's gift.

"What's all this, Reyn?" Melia asked, tilting her head a bit.

"It's a bit of a mixed basket. There's survival gear in there and some equipment the defense force gives to soldiers for either long deployments or if they're going to be in harsh environments. We used to camp outdoors quite a bit, so I mixed the two together and made you guys a camping kit for if you ever need it." Reyn answered.

"Some of this stuff looks pretty cool, actually! There's even some stuff in here to build a shelter!" Shulk said and stuck his head in the box.

"I swear, sometimes you're like a kid with a new toy, Shulk." Melia joked. She had been acting a bit more laid-back and playful from being around Shulk for so long, even the others picked up on it because now she would smile and laugh along whenever she joked around.

"Maybe we can put these to use in Valak Mountain. Thank you, Reyn." Melia smiled.

"Mine next!" Sharla said excitedly and handed Melia her gift.

Melia tore off the wrapping and opened the box. Inside was a plethora of stuffed animals, but the one on top was what made her let out a gasp.

"My Dobercorgi!" Melia cried and took it out of the box, giving it a big hug.

"You never took it back with you and I found it while we were moving everything to Reyn's house. I figured I'd get you a few others while I was at it too!" Sharla smiled.

"Thank you, everyone!" Melia said, smiling brightly while still cuddling her Dobercorgi.

"We're glad you like them." Fiora smiled.

"Yeah, it was harder than you'd think to get good gifts for someone that practically has everything." Reyn said.

"The gift itself doesn't matter. If it was from any of you, then I would love it regardless." Melia assured them.

Shulk then came up and hugged Melia from behind, "Ready for mine, Angel?"

Melia eagerly nodded and Shulk left the room, coming back with a long rectangular box. Inside was a white staff with gold etchings and a pentagonal head. The detail and decorations on the head of the staff gave it a heavenly look.

"It's beautiful, Shulk!" Melia said and took it out of the box.

Shulk smiled, "I made it myself. I read some books on how to channel ether and designed this staff so that other people could easily use it too, High Entia or not."

"Is this more of a gift for _you_ or for her then, Shulk?" Dunban joked.

"N-no, it's not like that! Of course it's for her!" Shulk tried to defend through his stammering, he even had to pause for a minute and compose himself.

"It's just that Melia has always been better at using ether compared to the rest of us. I designed it in a way I thought she would like, and also made it easy for others to use because I've been wanting to learn how to use ether better. I just thought… maybe it could be something we can do together." Shulk explained and started blushing.

Melia smiled and held the staff in front of her. Even compared to her Imperial Staff, this new one felt very light, and it was noticeably easier to channel ether with as a small fire elemental appeared over Melia's head with minimal effort.

Wanting to test it out a bit more, Melia had the elemental move across the room, her arm extended to guide it as it flew around. Their friends all looked nervous and took a step back as the elemental traveled over their heads, but Shulk trusted Melia completely as she came closer and stopped the elemental above their heads.

"I love it, Shulk. I could teach you how to better use ether if you want." Melia said.

The two shared a tender kiss, breaking it only after the elemental above them had faded away.

"Not too shabby there, Melia! Now all you need is a name for it!" Reyn spoke up.

"A name? For my staff?" Melia asked.

"What, you haven't given a name to any of your weapons or anything like that before?" Reyn replied, sounding a bit surprised.

"I didn't know people actually did that." Melia commented.

"Tons of people do! Like that weapon you and Shulk made for me, I called it Psychic Sally." Reyn said.

"I still think that's a weird name." Sharla commented.

"Hey, I like it and it's my weapon, I can name it whatever I want. What did you name yours again?" Reyn shot back.

"… Black Rose." Sharla answered, looking away embarrassed.

"I gave names to my daggers too, Elma and Mindy." Fiora spoke up.

"Shulk, Dunban, what about you two?" Melia asked curiously.

"Well…" Shulk started nervously.

Melia reached for Shulk's hand and gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Shulk. Everyone else is sharing theirs too, and I'm interested to hear yours." Melia said.

Shulk started to relax and locked his fingers between hers, "I never really intended on giving it a name at first, it's always just been the Monado to me. But after everything we went through and how much it revolved around the Monado, I named this new one that Alvis gave me, 'Hope'."

Melia's smile slightly grew and she reached her other hand up, caressing his cheek.

"See? That wasn't so hard. I like it, the name sounds rather fitting." Melia said.

The two shared a small kiss, then looked over at Dunban.

"Alright, Dunban, your turn to share." Shulk said.

"I don't give mine any names." Dunban dismissively replied.

"Oh yes you do, Dunban!" Fiora shot back, "He uses actual names like I do. I'll sometimes use boy names, but Dunban _only_ uses girl names. Reyn told me that sword he's always carrying around was made by Dickson way back when the Bionis was still around, and you know what he named it? Lucy."

"Aww, how cute!" Melia teased, covering her mouth as she started to snicker.

Dunban stayed quiet while the rest of them laughed.

"Any ideas for what you wanted to name your new staff, Melia?" Shulk asked.

"Hm… I'm not quite sure yet. I can't think of anything." Melia replied.

"That's okay. You got it pretty recently, after all." Shulk assured her.

They finished cleaning up the living room and Shulk and Melia took them all to the commercial district. After they shopped and got their winter gear ready, Shulk guided everyone to one of the newer areas around Alcamoth, this one being a giant dome with a hangar in the less populated parts of the city.

"Looks like you were right about this place being bigger, Dunban." Reyn commented.

"Seems so. I don't remember this ever being here." Dunban replied.

"We've been adding a few things as Alcamoth started to grow, this being just one of them." Shulk pointed out.

"Looks impressive, but what are we doing here, Shulk?" Sharla asked.

Shulk turned his head in her direction and grinned, "How did you think we were getting to Valak Mountain?"

They all entered the hangar and Shulk went ahead, approaching a guard while everyone else looked around.

"Your ship is ready, sir." The guard said and held out his hand, showing an activation key in his palm.

Shulk took the key and told everyone to follow behind him, leading them to a docked ship.

"We're flying there? Then where's the pilot?" Sharla asked, looking around confused while the others sat down.

Shulk and Melia walked over to the cockpit, Shulk sat in the pilot's chair while Melia sat next to him in the co-pilot's seat.

"You're looking at him." Shulk grinned and put in the activation key.

"Wait, you know how to fly this thing?" Reyn gawked.

"Not just me, Melia knows how to pilot one too." Shulk answered as he started up the ship.

As the ship gained power, the glass dome above them started to open.

"Clear skies, Consort. Don't bring her back all banged up." A voice was heard over the radio.

"Wait, is that Cap?" Reyn jumped out of his seat and went inside the cockpit, grabbing a spare headset so he could talk on the radio.

"Cap, what's happenin'?" Reyn asked.

"Do people even pay attention to those instructions before takeoff? Get your ass back in your seat, Reyn." The captain joked.

Although the others couldn't talk back without a headset, they could still hear the chatter over the radio and began to snicker.

"Yeah? And what are you gonna do if I don't, shoot us down?" Reyn jokingly shot back.

"Your newly-royal friend isn't the only one with a ship docked here, you know. I'd be more than happy to shoot your cocky ass out of the sky if it weren't for the fact that Shulk and Melia were in there." The captain answered, "If you're looking for a dogfight, let me know after you get back. You all staying here for a bit?"

"You're all more than welcome to stay if you wanted." Melia spoke up.

"Yeah, but Reyn doesn't have a license to fly." Shulk added.

"Figures, he's probably too stupid to even pass the entry portion." The captain said.

"I heard that, you know!" Reyn shouted through the headset.

"You were supposed to." The captain chuckled, "Seriously though, come find me if you're still looking to celebrate once you get back. It's good to hear from you all again, and happy birthday, empress."

"Thank you, captain." Melia smiled.

"Don't mention it. Now go on, get outta here and enjoy it while you're still young." The captain said before taking off his headset.

The radio channel switched back to flight control and Shulk taxied the ship out of the hangar, keeping his hand on the thrust lever. Melia placed her hand over Shulk's and the two smiled at each other before pushing the lever forward, gaining speed and taking off for Valak Mountain.

Shulk found a perfect spot to land once the snow-filled mountains came into sight. It had a cave near the slopes to the lower levels so they could snowboard close to their shelter, and also had a section of ice a short distance away for anyone that wanted to ice skate.

Shulk landed the ship and everyone changed into their winter gear before stepping off to unload everything in the cave.

"Alright. Everything is close by, so go ahead and do whatever you guys want." Shulk said.

Dunban and Fiora grabbed their skates and went towards the frozen pond, while Reyn and Sharla decided to go down the slopes. Sharla grabbed a snowboard while Reyn took a pair of skis before they left the cave.

"What did you want to do first, Melia?" Shulk asked, taking her hand.

"I wanted to go snowboarding." Melia answered, looking pretty eager to go.

They both grabbed snowboards and left the cave. Reyn and Sharla were already sliding down as they walked to the edge of the hill, but Shulk was having trouble moving on his board and kept falling into the snow.

"How are you supposed to move with your foot in this thing?" Shulk frustratedly asked.

Melia wasn't having any issues moving around and went over to Shulk, holding out her hand.

"It's not much different from roller skating, Shulk. Here, watch me." Melia instructed.

She helped Shulk up and showed him what to do before they stood over the edge of the hill. Melia was sliding down with ease, but Shulk couldn't keep his balance and fell over, sliding a few feet down the hill before stopping.

"You okay, Shulk?" Melia was trying not to laugh as she came over to help him up again.

Shulk took her hand and pulled himself up, "This doesn't make any sense. How are you naturally good at this but not when we went roller skating?"

"I can't really explain it either. I just feel like I have more control on a snowboard than I do on roller skates, maybe I pieced together some similarities that made it easier for me." Melia answered, "If you want, maybe I could help you."

"Please do." Shulk said with a small laugh.

The two went back up the slope and Melia held on to Shulk's hands as they skated down, helping him stay balanced. Although Shulk looked nervous about it, Melia started to smile and even blush a little.

"It's kind of like when you taught me how to roller skate back then, isn't it?" Melia asked.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Just the roles are reversed now." Shulk joked.

Shulk started to relax and asked Melia to let go of his hands, wanting to see if he could do it on his own. Melia nodded and let go, following behind her boyfriend the rest of the way downhill, not falling once or needing any help.

"Good job, Shulk! Now you're getting it!" Melia cheered.

"Thanks to you, that is. Hey, how about a race?" Shulk grinned.

"Pretty confident for someone who just learned how to snowboard on his own. Okay, I'll take you on." Melia teased and returned the grin.

Back at the top, Reyn and Sharla overheard the two were about to race and jokingly started to place bets. Shulk and Melia got into position and Sharla stood in front of them to signal the start of the race.

"Alright, go!" Sharla yelled and waved her arms down.

Shulk and Melia shot each other a competitive grin and took off. Melia got a better start, but Shulk started gaining up at the halfway mark and passed her.

"See you at the bottom, Melia~" He teased as he took the lead.

Melia started to grit her teeth as the distance between her and Shulk kept growing.

"You might want to save the gloating for _after_ the race, Shulk." She muttered.

Melia opened her hand and aimed it behind her, summoning a wind elemental in her palm. She shot it backwards and the force sent her flying ahead of Shulk.

"Looks like I'll be seeing _you_ at the bottom, Shulk~" Melia teased back as she regained the lead.

Melia reached the end first and waited for Shulk, already starting to gloat once he hit the bottom of the hill.

"Don't act like I didn't see what you did, Melia!" Shulk protested.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shulk~" She teased.

"Yes, you do! I know you used a wind elemental to get more speed!" Shulk shot back.

"You never said it was against the rules~ Don't be such a sore loser~" Melia kept teasing him.

Shulk let out a sigh, knowing he wasn't going to win this. He started to smile and threw his arms around Melia.

"Okay, fine. You win, Angel." He said.

Melia cheerfully giggled and hugged him back. She started to blush and looked into his eyes while he caressed her cheek.

"Here's your prize." Shulk closed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers as they shared a tender kiss.

They held hands and headed back to the top to see what everyone else was doing. Reyn and Sharla had their skis and snowboards put away, and Dunban and Fiora came back from ice skating. They were all grinning as Shulk and Melia came over.

"Hey Shulk, catch!" Fiora shouted.

Shulk didn't have enough time to react and took a snowball right to the face as he turned his head in Fiora's direction. Everyone busted out laughing while Shulk wiped the snow off his face, even seeing Melia laughing with her mouth covered to try and hide it.

"Oh, you think that's funny, huh?" Shulk quickly made a snowball and threw it at Melia, hitting her in the side of the face.

"Snowball fight!" Reyn yelled as he and Sharla suddenly pulled out an armful of snowballs.

Shulk took Melia's hand and everyone scattered to avoid the barrage of snowballs, getting split into teams of two and peeking from behind forts they made. It was Reyn with Sharla, Dunban with Fiora, and Shulk with Melia.

"Melia, I got an idea!" Shulk said.

Shulk whispered the plan in Melia's ear and she nodded. Shulk then grabbed one armful of snowballs and took off running for Reyn and Sharla's fort.

"Just charging right in, Shulk? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!" Reyn taunted and readied a snowball.

"I've always got a plan! Hit it, Melia!" Shulk called out.

Melia jumped out from behind Shulk and aimed a fire elemental at the fort, melting it almost instantly and leaving Reyn and Sharla wide open to get pelted with snowballs.

"Oh, come on! How's that fair?" Reyn whined.

Shulk and Melia laughed and put an arm around each other.

"All's fair in love and war, Reyn." Shulk said.

"Oh, is that right?" Reyn smirked.

Reyn ran up and tackled Shulk, sending them both down the hill and they rough-housed as they slid down.

"All's fair in love and war, Shulk!" Reyn yelled loud enough for the others above them to hear.

Melia and Sharla stood by the edge and watched the two go.

"Those two boys of ours, what are we going to do with them?" Sharla laughed.

"Boys will be boys, I guess." Melia chuckled.

Sharla put an arm over Melia's shoulder, but she had a suspicious grin on her face and kept her other arm behind her back.

"Hey, Melia, think fast!" Sharla said and pulled out a snowball she was hiding behind her back, hitting Melia with it.

Melia wiped the snow off her face and playfully glared at Sharla.

"So that's how it is, huh? Okay, our armistice is off!" Melia yelled.

After a small play-fight between the two, Melia overpowered Sharla and sent them both sliding down the hill, following after their boyfriends.

Now Dunban came over to the edge, thinking he had to see what just happened with his own eyes.

"The better question is what am _I_ going to do with the lot of you?" Dunban groaned, although he did have a smile on his face.

"Oh, Dunbaaan~!"

As soon as Dunban turned around, Fiora jumped at him with a handful of snow. She pounced and took him down, pelting him with snow as they took off down the hill with the others.

With the last two reaching the bottom of the hill, they all paused and looked at each other, then just started laughing.

Shulk came over to help Melia up and suddenly pulled her by the hand and into a passionate kiss. It caught her off guard at first, but she closed her eyes and returned the kiss, pulling him into a tight hug as their lips broke apart.

"I love you, Melia." Shulk mused.

"I love you too, Shulk." Melia said back.

"Oi, you two! You coming or what?" Reyn shouted to them.

Staying in each other's arms, they looked over and seen everyone already climbing back up the hill.

Melia quickly stole a kiss before breaking out of Shulk's embrace and heading up the hill. Shulk caught up with her and they held hands as they walked behind the others.

"Nothing to say about stealing that-" Melia suddenly let out a yelp as Shulk lunged himself closer, pressing his lips to hers and stealing back the kiss.

"Nope, nothing at all~" He teased and looked back ahead.

Melia blushed and couldn't help but smile, nuzzling against him as they walked along.

It was starting to get late when they got back to the cave. Shulk took out the camping kit Reyn made for them and they all pitched in to set it up, already feeling exhausted and deciding to go to bed shortly after making dinner.

Melia rolled over in her sleep and reached her arm out, but it was met with an empty side of a sleeping bag. She started to stir from not feeling Shulk next to her and opened her eyes, seeing him sitting by the entrance to the cave.

"What are you still doing up, Shulk?" Melia asked and sat down next to him.

"I just wanted to check out the place at night." Shulk answered.

The crystals and icy trees outside started to light up and sent beams into the sky, illuminating the mountains in a soothing glow.

Shulk moved closer to Melia and kissed her cheek, nuzzling against her as they admired the scenery.

"You're certainly clingy tonight." Melia commented.

"You haven't realized where we are yet, have you?" Shulk asked.

Melia looked around and started to notice a pattern in the layout, the trees and crystals being arranged in a way she remembered seeing before.

"It really is beautiful here." Shulk mused, giving Melia a small hint.

"This is the same place we confessed our feelings for each other, isn't it?" Melia guessed.

"That it is." Shulk smiled.

Melia smiled back and held him in a tight embrace.

"That has to have been the happiest day of my life." She mused.

"Mine too." Shulk said and cradled her in his arms.

"Hey, Melia, want to go for a walk since we're still up? I brought that staff with us, maybe you could show me how to use it?" Shulk suggested.

"What if the others wake up and see that we're gone?" Melia asked.

"I don't think they'll mind." Shulk assured her.

"Well, if you think so…" Melia thought about it for a moment before nodding her head, "Okay then, let's go."

They put their winter clothes on over their pajamas and exited the cave. Melia held the staff at her side and took Shulk's hand as they walked, surveying the landscape.

"Shulk, look. There's another cave over there." Melia said and pointed to it.

"You think that would be a good place?" Shulk asked.

Melia nodded, "It'll keep us out of the cold, and if it's small inside, it could be an easily containable area for you to practice."

"Alright, let's go check it out." Shulk said.

At the entrance to the cave, Melia used the staff to summon a fire elemental and had it move around the inside to lighten it up. The cave seemed to be vacant, and also had ether crystal deposits that reflected the light coming from the elemental.

"It looks so beautiful inside under the light." Melia said softly.

"Seems like it's safe to go in too. Come on, Angel." Shulk added.

The two entered the cave and Melia handed Shulk the staff. It was decently sized inside as well, making for a containable practicing space like Melia mentioned.

"Did you have any preference on what you wanted to try first, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Hm, how about a fire elemental, a small one like you did back at the Villa." Shulk suggested.

Melia nodded, "Okay. Summoning elementals requires constant focus, try to relax while you're channeling into the staff, and keep an image of it in your head."

Shulk took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to keep his focus as ether emitted from the head of the staff. A small ember appeared over his head, but the elemental disappeared before it could finish forming, along with the ether being emitted from the staff.

"You almost had it." Melia said reassuringly.

"Almost, but what happened? Why didn't it work?" Shulk asked.

Melia put her hand to her chin, "I had trouble summoning elementals at first too. To help me focus, I would associate the elemental I was trying to summon with similar thoughts. Like if I wanted to summon a water elemental, I would picture Eryth Sea or other sources of water. Since you're trying to summon fire, try thinking of anything warm."

Shulk took a minute to clear his head before gripping the staff again. As the staff started to emit ether, Shulk tried to control his breathing and kept his focus on warm thoughts.

After a few moments, the ember reappeared and began to take form. Unlike the last attempt, this one finished forming and resided over Shulk's head. It was much smaller than an elemental Melia would usually summon, but a successful one nonetheless.

"I… I did it!" Shulk cheered.

Shulk was smiling brightly as he looked around the cave. The light coming from his elemental reflected off of the ether crystals and illuminated the cave in its soft glow.

Melia smiled along and gently caressed his cheek.

"I'm proud of you, Boo." She mused.

They were both blushing as Melia leaned closer and kissed him under the dim light, but she suddenly broke the kiss and looked panicked. The light from the elemental became much brighter and it hummed as it abnormally grew in size.

"Shulk, get down!" Melia yelled.

Melia tackled Shulk to the floor and shielded him from the elemental as it grew and hummed louder, exploding shortly after. The blast from it reached the ether deposits, making crystals break off and land on the ground.

"Shulk, are you okay?" Melia asked urgently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What just happened?" He asked.

"Even after the elemental has been summoned, you still need to maintain your focus for as long as it's active. Other factors can affect the potency of the elemental, such as emotions and individual threshold on controlling ether." Melia explained.

Melia started shaking and leaned down, hugging Shulk tightly.

"I'm sorry, Shulk. I broke your concentration and made it harder for you to contain the elemental. It was my fault, and I put you at risk because of it." She whimpered.

"Hey, don't cry, Melia." Shulk said and held her close, "It's okay, I'm just relieved that neither of us were hurt."

Melia only gave a small nod, but Shulk refused to let her go until he was sure she had calmed down.

"It's okay, Angel. Neither of us were hurt, and that's all that matters. It wasn't your fault, and I'm not mad either." Shulk said while he soothingly rubbed her back.

Melia's shaking started to cease and Shulk let her go, thinking she'd finally calmed down. They stood up and he looked around the cave, noticing a big pile of blue ether crystals. He walked over and picked up a handful, seeming to be deep in thought as he gazed into them.

"What are you doing with those, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"I think I can make something with these, so I'm taking some back with us." He answered.

Shulk put the crystals in his pocket and walked back over to Melia.

"Want to call it a night and head back?" He suggested.

"Yes. It might be better to teach you about ether when we're back in Alcamoth." Melia said.

"Alright, as long as you're still the one to teach me." Shulk smiled.

"You still want me to teach you after what just happened?" Melia asked, looking down nervously.

Shulk gently pulled her in for a hug, "Of course I do. Don't get discouraged because of this, Melia. I didn't expect it to be perfect on the first try, I'm just happy that this is something we can do together and get better at, like when you want to help me build something."

Melia started to smile and hugged him tighter.

"Okay, Boo, if that's what you want." She said.

They held each other close for a few more moments and Melia took his hand.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting a bit tired." Shulk answered and let out a yawn.

They exited the cave hand-in-hand and started heading back to their camp.

"Shulk, I've decided on a name for the staff." Melia said as they were walking back.

"You did? What is it?" Shulk asked.

"Serenity." Melia answered with a smile.

"Is it supposed to be ironic since I nearly killed us with it?" He joked.

"I'm serious, Shulk!" Melia shot back, looking away embarrassed.

Shulk quickly threw his arms around Melia and pulled her in for a hug. She hugged him back but kept her face buried in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Angel. You know I didn't mean it like that, right?" He asked softly.

Melia lifted her head and pecked his cheek.

"I know. It's okay, Boo." She said.

"Seriously though, I like the name. I can engrave it on the staff too if you want." Shulk offered.

"Okay. We can do that when we get back home." Melia smiled.

The two arrived at the camp and seen that everyone was still asleep. They changed back into their pajamas and laid down in their sleeping bags.

Melia rolled over to Shulk's side and snuggled close to him.

"This was the best birthday I've had in a long time." She mused.

Seeing the bright smile on Melia's face, Shulk smiled back and leaned closer, giving her a tender kiss good night before they went to sleep.


	14. Together Forever

"It's difficult to believe this all happened in such a short time."

Melia was overlooking the view of Alcamoth from her Villa's balcony and smiling as she gazed over the city.

She looked up to the sky, still wearing that smile, "Are all of you still watching? It's been three years since our home was attacked by the Telethia. In just those three short years, Shulk and I have done more than restore Alcamoth to its former glory. This city is in the best shape its ever been, even compared to how it was before the attack, but everything is still continuing to grow, both the city _and_ the people. I'm sure you would all be proud if you were here to see it."

Melia's smile began to fade, a frown taking its place as she sighed and leaned over the rail.

"Shulk…" She softly mused.

While everything else was going perfectly, there was one thing weighing on Melia's mind, and it was Shulk's strange behavior for the past week. He was spending more time than usual at work, and when he would finally come home, he would seem zoned out and distant.

 _Maybe he's stressed over something at work? Perhaps I'll go visit and ask him._

Melia threw herself together and stopped to pick up something quick for them to eat before going to M.S.I.T.

Denise seen Melia walking inside the main lobby and waved, "Hey, Melia!~"

Denise had been getting to know Melia and the rest of the group better with how frequently they would come visit. Even with how close the two girls have been getting, however, Denise wouldn't slack off to gossip or even address Melia by just her first name unless the lobby was empty.

Melia politely smiled and came over. There was no one else around so she figured she could stay and chat for a few minutes, but her attention kept getting drawn back to Denise's smile. Melia stopped by pretty often to visit, but Denise was practically beaming and more excited to see her than usual.

Melia's curiosity finally piqued and she raised an eyebrow, "You're certainly euphoric today."

"I mean, how could I not be? It's a slow day at work so I get to lounge around, it's nice out, and I even got to spend some of the day outside to see for myself. The others came by to visit Shulk before they went back home, and they asked if I could go on break and tag along with them around the city." Denise replied.

Denise's bright expression suddenly changed and she looked a bit guilty, "Oh, I'm sorry, Melia. We would've invited you to come with us, but I figured you were busy since you weren't with the group, or…"

"It's okay, don't worry yourself about that." Melia assured her.

The smile Melia was wearing turned into a teasing one, "It sounds like you're getting along pretty well with the others, and from what I've heard, with Dunban in particular."

Denise turned bright red, "The others keep mentioning that too, but even _you_ think that now? I mean… sure, he comes by more often than the rest, but…"

"You don't see that as a bit of a coincidence? I doubt that he would visit so often just to see Shulk." Melia smirked as she kept teasing her.

"Like you're one to talk! You're here every other day visiting your husband!" Denise shot back defensively.

"Wait… my husband?" Melia asked and blushed from her comment.

Denise suddenly squeaked and covered her mouth, "I-I mean, I know you two aren't married, it's just the way you act around each other makes it seem like-"

Although she didn't mean to, Melia started to stare off into space, smiling warmly as the sound of Denise's rambling gradually lowered until it went mute.

 _Married? Me and Shulk?_

Denise cut herself off and put on a relieved smile, seeing that Melia wasn't paying attention anymore.

"I've taken up enough of your time. Go on ahead, he's in the same place as always." Denise said, her voice snapping Melia out of her daze.

Melia nodded and went to walk down the hall, but she peeked back at Denise from around the corner.

"Your affairs are no one's business but your own, but I believe that Dunban might share the same feelings you do." Melia said.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" Denise replied, feeling too embarrassed to talk about it.

Melia shot Denise a grin before finally leaving her alone. After she was gone, Denise groaned and rested her head in her hands.

"You idiot! How could you almost let that slip?" Denise quietly said to herself.

Up on the second floor, Melia opened the office door and seen Shulk with his back turned to her. He didn't notice her come in or even hear the door open, only blankly staring at one of the Telethia carcasses in its preservation tube.

Melia set the bag of food on a nearby table and walked up behind Shulk, covering his eyes before he could turn around.

"Guess who?~" Melia playfully asked.

Shulk smiled and placed his hands over hers, "Wait, don't tell me, I know this one! Hm… her name's right on the tip of my tongue… what was it? Hang on, maybe if I describe her it'll help me remember. Let's see, she's about half a foot shorter than me, she's really cute and has wings on her head…"

Melia started to smile and her wings brushed against Shulk as she leaned closer to his ear.

"What else do you remember about her?" She cooed.

"She's also someone really important, not just to the people she governs over, but also to me. Wait, I remember now!" Shulk moved Melia's hands away and spun around, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Her name is Melia Antiqua, empress and love of my life." Shulk said.

"Right answer." Melia giggled.

Melia reached up and the two shared a tender kiss before Shulk pulled her into another hug.

"Hey, Angel. What are you doing here?" Shulk asked.

Melia untangled herself from his arms and held up the bag, "I brought you something to eat. Do you think you could take a break from what you're doing?"

"Yeah, I could do that." Shulk said.

Melia smiled and carried the bag as they headed for the door. She noticed that Shulk had stopped walking and turned around, seeing him staring back at the Telethia carcass.

 _Maybe it really did have something to do with his work. He's so focused on those specimens…_

Shulk snapped out of his trance and hurried back over to Melia's side, "Sorry about that, Angel."

The two held hands as they left the institute and found an empty sitting area on the outer ring of the second floor. They sat at the bench and Melia reached her hand inside the bag, pulling out a wrapped sandwich and handing it to Shulk.

"Sorry that it's not great quality. I just picked up something quick before coming over, and you know I'm not much of a cook." Melia apologized.

Shulk opened the wrapper and took a bite. He then looked over at Melia and gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about that, Angel. Besides, I've been eating the same junk food for the past few days straight at work, literally _anything_ else tastes like five-stars to me right now."

Not long after, Shulk was back to how he'd been acting for the past week, staying quiet and only picking at his food.

Melia could see that look on his face like something was bothering him. She set her share of food to the side and rested her hand on his lap.

"Boo, is everything okay?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Shulk replied.

Melia's hand moved up to his cheek and she gently turned his head to her.

"You just seem… occupied lately, and you even have this look like you're stressed about something." Melia said and caressed his cheek.

"It's just something at work…" Shulk vaguely answered and turned his eyes away from her.

"You can talk to me about these things, Shulk. I might not understand everything that you do there, but I at least want to try and help." Melia said.

"I know you do, Angel. I'm sorry I haven't said anything sooner, it's just… I was nervous about how you would react." Shulk said hesitantly.

"Why would you feel nervous about that, Shulk? Talk to me, what's wrong?" Melia pressed.

Shulk let out a sigh and slouched forward, resting his arms on his knees and staring blankly ahead of him.

"Melia, have you heard of something called 'DNA splicing'?" Shulk asked.

Melia raised an eyebrow. Why would he ask something as strange as that?

"No, I haven't." She replied.

"It's where you cut a bit of one organism's DNA, then replace it with DNA from a different organism. The two pieces will then recombine, making a modified version of the original with an added trait from the foreign DNA. I know that sounds complicated, but does that make sense?" Shulk explained.

"I think so, but what does this have to do with your work?" Melia asked.

"Well, normally this wouldn't be something you could do on humans. DNA splicing has uses in other ways, like in producing medicine or helping to grow crops, but human DNA is too complex to put under that same practice. But… we've been working on something that might make it possible." Shulk lifted his head and looked over at Melia with a sense of shock and awe, "Melia… we might be able to literally alter someone's genetic makeup. If this works, we could even splice High Entia DNA with other races and give them the extended lifespan that your race has."

Melia could only stare, completely dumbfounded at what Shulk was telling her.

"I… I don't know what to say about this, Shulk. Do you remember when we talked about letting Teelan continue his mentor's research as long as it didn't violate anything ethical? What you're saying sounds like it goes against that." Melia commented.

"We discovered this while we were working on a cure for the mutation. You remember Lilith, the head of M.S.I.T? We brought her all the data we had on this and she allowed us to continue working on it." Shulk said.

"That doesn't make it inexorable, Shulk. Her word is not law. Just because she gave you permission does not mean it can bypass me or the example I tried to set forward with Teelan." Melia replied sharply.

Shulk let out another sigh and stared down at the ground.

"You're right, I know you are. You have every right to be mad at me, but there's more to it…" Shulk started.

Melia kept quiet, even glaring while she waited for Shulk to say something. He already admitted they were doing this behind her back, so what else could possibly make it worse?

"That wasn't just an example I gave you earlier, about splicing High Entia DNA to extend someone's life. That's what M.S.I.T is actually trying to do… and I told them I wanted the first person they tested it on to be me." Shulk revealed.

Melia's glare instantly left and she felt her heart pounding in fear. She reached for Shulk's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Shulk, why would you want to do something like that? Is this even safe? Aren't you happy with the life you currently have?" She asked in a barrage of questions.

"I'll answer anything you want to know, Melia, just please try not to panic." Shulk started, "We've been studying and testing this for a while, it's progressed far enough to try on humans. I asked them to do this voluntarily, and I'm doing it for the reason I mentioned earlier, to increase my lifespan."

"But have you given _any_ kind of consideration to what that entails, Shulk? You'll outlive the rest of your friends, it's a harsh reality that even _I_ struggle to cope with at times. Do you honestly believe you could bear that, let alone if this operation works to begin with?" Melia demanded.

"I'm aware of that. I've been constantly thinking about what it would mean if this works. And who knows, maybe the others would soften up to the idea and think about going through with it themselves." Shulk answered.

A strange, almost grim smile appeared on Shulk's face, "Besides, if something does go wrong, it's not like I've been alive to begin with, remember? I've been living on borrowed time…"

For the first time in her life, Melia started to feel deep anger towards Shulk. She remembered Lorithia's last words to him and she flung her arm away as she let go of his hand.

"That's it? That's all the resolve you have for something as serious as this? Just because Lorithia told you that your life doesn't matter, you instantly believe it to be true and are willing to throw it away?! You were given a second chance at life, Shulk, some people would be considered blessed to have that, and you're going to sit here and tell me that it doesn't matter?! Well, _I_ think it matters! I think all the time we spent together mattered, or that I even got to know you at all! But I guess you don't care about any of that, do you?!"

Shulk froze, a numbingly strong sense of shame and guilt being the only things he could feel as he saw Melia break down crying.

"Melia, wait… that isn't what I was trying to say. I-I just…" Shulk tried to put his hand on Melia's shoulder, but she batted it away and stood up.

"I'm sorry, Shulk, but I need some time alone…" She whimpered.

Shulk caught a glimpse of the tears running down Melia's face before she turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Melia, wait!" Shulk called out.

Melia wouldn't stop and tears began to form in Shulk's eyes as she left his sight. Once she was gone, Shulk gripped his hair in frustration and looked down at the ground.

 _Damnit, damnit,_ _ **DAMNIT!**_ _Out of all the ways you could've brought this up to her, that was the one you went with?! You hopelessly-oblivious idiot!_

Shulk suddenly released his grip and placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart racing and like it was getting harder to breathe. He took a few breaths as deep as he could and looked back up, but fear began to fill his eyes as everything around him felt like it was changing… almost like it was becoming too real.

 _No… no, not now. Not when she isn't here…_

"Melia…" Shulk whimpered out her name and covered his face, crying as he felt a panic attack coming on.

Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Shulk. He wiped his tears and closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing to help him calm down. He could feel his heartbeat starting to slow down and placed his hand back over his chest, but this time his hand hit something in his coat's chest pocket.

Shulk opened his eyes and reached inside, pulling out a thin, rectangular wooden box. He placed his hand on the side of the box and flipped it open, revealing a case of Dickson's old cigars.

Shulk couldn't help but chuckle softly as he looked inside the box, noticing one of the cigars was facing upside-down.

"You and your friends had the power to change the future, yet you still did this as a sign of good luck." Shulk said to himself.

Shulk paused for a moment and looked closer, seeing a small matchbox was also inside the case.

 _I'm not much of a smoker, but right now… I could use anything to help me relax._

Shulk took out the upside-down cigar and held it on the edges of his lips. He struck a match and brought it closer, puffing the cigar and trying to get it to burn evenly.

Shulk coughed after a few puffs and held the cigar between his fingers as he stared ahead of him.

"Like stepfather like stepson, huh Dickson?" Again, Shulk couldn't help but laugh a little as he reminisced. Any image he still had of Dickson growing up would show him with a cigar resting on his lips.

Shulk took another puff of the cigar and looked up to the sky, "You'd do more than just beat my ass if you were here, wouldn't you dad? After making Melia cry like that, I wouldn't even stop you, but I'll make this right, just watch."

Ever since what happened to the two of them, Shulk and Melia felt a deep spiritual bond with their parents. Every now and then, they would even look up to the sky and talk as if they were speaking right to them.

Shulk finished as much of the cigar as he could and put it out, he then looked to his side and remembered the food Melia brought for him was still there. He picked back up the sandwich and silently ate by himself before going back to M.S.I.T.

Throughout the rest of the day at work, Shulk was either thinking about Melia or trying to keep himself calm before triggering another anxiety attack. Before he went back home, he used the emergency shower at work, brushed his teeth, and changed into a spare set of clothes. He wasn't sure if Melia would still be mad at him, but he didn't want to make it worse if he came home smelling like smoke.

Shulk had a bit of time to clear his thoughts as he walked back to the Villa. He opened the front door and looked around while he kicked off his shoes, but there was no sight of Melia in the bits of the house that he could see.

"Melia, are you home?" He called out.

No answer…

Shulk checked around the house and found Melia laying in their bed, wearing his jacket and cuddling the Dobercorgi he gave her all that time ago. Her back was turned to him and she looked over her shoulder, still not saying anything even though she was surprised to see him.

"Melia…" Shulk hurried over and knelt down at the bedside.

Shulk held Melia tight and sniffled into her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Melia, I'm so sorry. This operation has had me scared and stressed out for the past week, and I said something stupid that I didn't mean because of it. I've been thinking over and over about the things we said to each other since you left, and you were right on all of it. I love you with all my heart, Melia, and nothing matters to me more than you. I don't ever want to lose you or fight like that again."

Melia gently broke out of his arms and sat up. Tears started streaming down her face and she pulled Shulk back into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for what I said too, Shulk. I was so scared that something bad might happen to you and I lashed out. I've lost so many others that I cared about, and I was worried that you might be next…" Melia hid her face and began to whimper at the thought of it.

Shulk took a shaky breath and lifted his head. He kissed the top of Melia's head and gently rocked her in his arms.

"Listen to me, Angel." Shulk said softly, "Nobody is 'next', and nothing bad is going to happen. I made a promise that I would never leave your side, and I'm not turning back on that."

"But… what's going to happen with the operation you had planned?" Melia asked.

"I'm still thinking of going through with it…" Shulk answered.

Melia's grip around him tightened, "But why, Shulk? Why are you so insistent on doing this?"

"There's a reason for it. I was going to camp out in Makna Forest to clear my head before the surgery, come with me tomorrow and I'll explain it there." Shulk said.

Although it wasn't the answer Melia wanted to hear, she knew neither of them had the energy to press the matter. She nodded and tried to sit up, but Shulk pulled her back to him and held her tightly.

 _Something isn't right. The only times I've seen him act clingy like this was when…_

"Shulk, are you okay?" Melia asked softly.

Shulk didn't say anything back, but she could feel him trembling and his pupils were dilated when she looked up at him.

"…Shulk?" Melia asked again.

Melia placed her hand over his chest to feel his heartbeat, but all she felt was something hollow in his coat pocket. She reached inside and pulled it out, and Shulk didn't stop her as she opened the box.

"Dickson's old cigar box, and one of them is missing..." Melia commented and looked up at him, "Shulk, did you have one of these?"

Shulk shamefully looked down, "I'm sorry. It's just that… I started feeling anxious after the things we said to each other and it turned into a panic attack after you left. I wanted to give you some time alone like you asked, and… I just needed something to help me calm down since you weren't there."

Shulk's lip started quivering and his eyes turned bloodshot, looking like he might cry again while Melia felt her heart breaking at what he just said.

"Look at me, Boo." Melia kept her voice soft and gently lifted his head, "I'm not mad, and I'm not going to reprimand you over this. I understand the reason why, but you don't need nicotine to help you relax. No matter what happens from now on, Shulk, I want you to come get me right away if you ever feel like that again."

Shulk only gave a small nod.

"I want to hear you say it, Shulk. Promise me that you will." Melia said, her voice firm but still soft.

"Okay. I promise I'll come get you no matter what happens." Shulk said.

Melia nodded and set the cigar box on the nightstand. She pulled Shulk in for a hug and started to sniffle with her face buried in his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Shulk. I left you all alone when you needed me most…" She whimpered.

"It's okay, Angel." Shulk said and rubbed her back, "You're here now, and there's still something you can do if you want to help."

"And what's that?" Melia quietly asked.

Shulk lifted her head and caressed her cheek, "By not crying. It'll help me feel better knowing that you're okay."

Melia nodded and gave him another hug before sitting back up. She tried bringing herself to smile, and although it wasn't that big or bright, it was still enough for Shulk.

"Come here, Boo. Lie down and try to relax." Melia said and patted the bed.

Shulk nodded and stood up. He changed his clothes and Melia opened her arms as Shulk crawled into bed, letting him rest his head on her chest. She kissed the top of his head and soothingly stroked his hair while she cradled him in her arms.

 _I guess now would be a better time than any…_

A few weeks ago, Melia found some books about anxiety and panic attacks after finishing the novels Dunban gave her. While it was true that Shulk's last attack happened so long ago, she still got them on the rare chance that it would happen again. She remembered that the authors left some tips on what to do to help someone relax, and there was one that stood out in her mind: Keep them talking.

Melia went with anything she could think of to casually strike up: How the rest of his day was, if there was anything else he was working on at M.S.I.T, how exactly the staff he made for her works. It didn't matter what it was, as long as it kept Shulk talking and didn't sound like she was purposely trying to distract him.

Shulk didn't say much at first and mostly gave short replies, but he gradually started talking more until it got to the point that he was going on tangents. It actually became more of a challenge to get him to stop, but Melia didn't care either way, she was smiling warmly and thought it was working while happily listening to him rant.

Shulk finally stopped talking and began to yawn as he snuggled next to Melia.

"Tired, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"A little." He answered sleepily and nuzzled closer.

Melia looked down at him with a warm smile, "You can still lay here if you want. It's been a long day, I might do the same and go to bed soon too."

Shulk reached up and the two shared a tender kiss before he laid his head back down on her chest. He made himself comfortable and soon went to sleep while Melia stayed up for a bit longer, gently pressing his head closer to her heart while he snored away.

Melia tried her best to stay awake and keep Shulk soothed, but her eyes started to grow heavy and she felt like she couldn't keep them open much longer.

"Goodnight, Shulk." Melia kissed the top of his head before falling back onto her pillow and going to sleep.

The next morning, Melia's arm reached up to her chest like she was feeling for Shulk in her sleep. Sensing that he wasn't there, she started to stir and sat up a bit, groaning sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Shulk?" She quietly called out, still sounding half-asleep.

Moments later, their bedroom door opened and Shulk stepped in, using his leg to keep the door open while he held a tray of food and a glass of orange juice in his hands.

"Oh, you're up." Shulk came over and set everything on the nightstand, then leaned down and gave Melia a hug and kiss.

"Good morning, Angel." He said.

"Good morning. What are you doing up so early?" Melia asked drowsily.

"I've been getting everything ready. I came back and seen you were still asleep, so I figured I had time to make you breakfast." Shulk answered.

Shulk propped the pillows for Melia to sit up and she slowly started waking up as Shulk set the tray in her lap.

"Just keep in mind that I'm not much of a cook either. Premade rations and basic stuff are about all I can make." Shulk joked, "I made some for myself too, I'll be right back."

Shulk left the room and came back with another tray of food. He climbed back into bed and set the tray down so they could eat together.

"How long exactly have you been up, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"A couple hours at most." Shulk said and wiped his mouth, "I told you already, I've been getting everything packed so we could go to Makna Forest right when we got up."

"You're that eager to go?" Melia chuckled.

"Of course. A nice little getaway with just the two of us, how could I not be?" Shulk answered.

Melia smiled from his comment and went back to her food. Shulk was practically scarfing his down and finished before her, and he stopped Melia before she could get the tray off her lap.

"Let me get that, Angel." Shulk said and got up to clear everything off for her.

"Thank you, Shulk, but you don't have to do all of this." Melia said.

"Actually, I do~" Shulk protested playfully, "You're not going to be lifting so much as a finger today unless you have to."

Melia didn't say anything back, only giving a soft smile over Shulk's pampering of her, even if it was a bit insistent.

Shulk leaned down and gave Melia another hug and a kiss on her cheek, "Anything you need to do before we head out?"

"Other than a shower and getting myself ready, I think that's it." Melia answered.

"Alright. Allow me~" Shulk grinned.

Shulk reached his arms underneath Melia and she let out a startled yelp as he lifted her out of bed. She started to playfully giggle and reached up, nuzzling closer as he carried her.

"What's gotten into you today, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"What, do I need a reason to spoil you every now and then?~" Shulk replied.

"No, it's not that, I'm referring to the way you're acting. You're so upbeat and energetic today, more so than usual, and you seem very excited about going. What's in Makna Forest that has you like this?" Melia pressed.

"I guess you'll see when we get there, won't you?~" Shulk teased back.

Shulk carried Melia over to their walk-in closet and pulled her into a deep kiss after he set her down. He broke the kiss and went to leave, but he stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder.

"I'll clean up and make sure we have everything while you're getting ready." Shulk said and walked out.

Melia picked out a set of clothes and walked into the bathroom. She stepped into the shower, but just stood motionless and looked down as the water ran over her body.

 _He's done something like this before, keeping things vague and leading me along like that surprise date at Eryth Sea._

Melia leaned to the side and rested against the shower wall, a slightly suspicious look on her face as she zoned out and contemplated.

 _You're acting the same way as you did back then, Shulk. You're planning something… but what?_

An eager grin started to show as Melia stood upright and she reached for one of the shampoo bottles.

"Alright, Shulk, I'll play along~" She said to herself.

Shulk was cleaning up around the house and brought their trays into the kitchen while Melia was getting ready. He set the trays into the sink and suddenly paused, letting out a nervous sigh as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small black box and held it in his palm, staring at it for a few moments before he clenched his hand shut.

Shulk brought the box closer to his chest and looked up, "Wish me luck, guys."

"Shulk, did you say something?"

Shulk jumped as he heard Melia's footsteps getting closer and he dug the box back into his pocket.

"N-no, Angel." Shulk called out.

Shulk managed to get the box out of sight before Melia came into the room. He turned around and blushed at the sight of her, both because of her outfit, and what he was planning had him looking at Melia in a whole new light. Her outfit was slightly more revealing than what she normally wore and left parts of her back, shoulders, and midriff exposed, but it still fit her perfectly. She had on the floral headdress Riki made for her, a crop top with sleeves and purple straps that were visible over he shoulders, a short skirt, sandals, and different colored stockings with garters on her legs. Everything she had on was sporting fur and small decorations were put on to complete the set, such as flowers at the ends of her sleeves and feathered tassels around the skirt.

"Well, look at you~" Shulk grinned.

Melia looked down nervously, but Shulk could still see a smile forming in the corners of her lips.

"You've seen me in this before, Shulk. It's the same thing I've worn to Makna Forest." Melia said shyly.

Shulk smiled and came over, throwing his arms around Melia and pulling her into a hug, "I still say you look adorable in it~"

Melia blushed and returned the hug. She looked up at Shulk after they broke apart, "Don't you need to change too? It might be too hot in Makna Forest for your usual attire."

"I know. I just finished up, so I was going to change and we should be ready to go if there's nothing else we need." Shulk answered.

Melia nodded and Shulk went back to their bedroom. He let out a relieved sigh as he walked down the hall.

 _Alright, I don't think she seen it. But either way, no more slip-ups like that from now on. She came so close to finding out…_

Shulk shut the door behind him and stepped into the closet. He pulled out the box along with everything in his pockets and quickly got ready, worrying that Melia might notice it this time if he took too long.

Shulk finished getting changed but found himself getting lost in thought again as he stared back at the box. He hastily snapped out of it and put everything back in his pockets before leaving the room.

Shulk found Melia waiting for him in the living room. She started to blush as Shulk came over, even biting her lip as she eyed him up and down. Just like hers, Shulk's outfit showed a bit more skin, but his was only on the upper half of his body. Shulk's outfit was covered in blue and purple and consisted of a feathered band by his ear, a sleeveless vest with no shirt underneath, fingerless gloves with fur cuffs over his arms, and a baggy pair of pants with open-toed shoes. He also had a belt loosely hanging around his waist with the High Entia emblem on the buckle, and a patch of gray fur secured underneath it to make a pair of faulds.

Shulk seen the looks Melia was giving him and grinned, "I was going to ask how it looked, but judging from the look on your face, it's safe to say it's okay?"

Melia came closer, blushing even more as she rested her hand on his abs and gazed into his eyes.

"Better than that, it's captivating~" Melia purred.

Melia leaned in and kissed him, feeling his abs while Shulk's hands glided over the exposed parts of her body.

Shulk broke the kiss before they got carried away and took her hand, "Can't be getting distracted, Angel~ Come on, everything's ready."

The two held hands as they left the Villa and headed for the hangar. The captain was stationed at the door to their ship and he stood at attention as Melia boarded first.

The captain then relaxed his stance and placed a hand on Shulk's shoulder as he walked past, stopping him before he could board the ship.

Shulk looked over at the captain, seeing a smirk appear on his face and sounding like he was trying not to snicker.

"Go get her, Tarzan." The captain said and covered his mouth before he broke out laughing.

Shulk didn't look as amused, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? Now's not the time for jokes, captain, you know that."

"Oh, lighten up, will you? You and her have been together for years now, do you honestly think she's going to say no?" The captain shot back.

Shulk didn't answer and nervously looked away.

The captain could see how badly Shulk was stressing over this and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Relax, you got this. I could tell from the way you two act that you were practically made for each other and that it was only a matter of time until this happened. For all that we know, she might have been waiting for you to ask."

Shulk nodded and lifted his head back up, feeling a surge of confidence that even the captain could see written all over his face.

"That's what I like to see. Now, quit making the girl wait and get out of here." The captain said and pushed Shulk into the ship.

Shulk walked into the cockpit and seen Melia already set to go. She looked over and could see that look on Shulk's face too as he came over and sat in the pilot's chair.

"Everything all right, Boo?" Melia asked.

Shulk turned to Melia with a bright smile, "Never been better. You ready?"

Melia nodded and the two prepared the ship for takeoff. Once they were in the air, Shulk took a quick detour and circled over the city for a perfect aerial view.

Melia took one last glance at Alcamoth before looking back ahead. She reached for Shulk's hand and smiled eagerly as they changed course, heading in the direction of Makna Forest.

 _Time to reveal what you're planning, Shulk~_

Shulk added a bit more speed, hoping to get there while he still had his rush of confidence, but none of that seemed to matter as they flew above the forest. Even from in the air, they could both feel the calm and peaceful vibe the area gave off. Shulk could even hear the songs that the Nopon would play from the village inside his head and soothingly listened along as he looked for a spot to land.

Shulk flew closer to the entrance of Makna Forest and Melia looked out the window as he set the ship down. Where they landed was just below the ground level and had a walkway back up, but she also noticed there was a beach nearby with water falling into it from the floor above them.

Shulk took out the ship's activation key and headed outside to open the loading bay doors. Melia followed behind him and tried to help carry some things, but Shulk stopped her and took her hand.

"What did I tell you, Angel? You're not lifting a finger today." Shulk said.

"Come now, Shulk, I can't just leave you to do all of this by yourself." Melia protested.

The two began to argue again but it was in a playful way this time. Shulk suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Melia, lifting her off her feet while she laughed and wrestled against his grip.

"Shulk, what are you doing?" Melia cried.

"Same thing I was doing earlier, unloading everything." He answered.

"That doesn't include _me_ , Shulk! Put me down!" Melia shot back.

"Alright, fine~" Shulk playfully whined.

Shulk carried Melia over to the beach and set her down.

"Just stay here for a minute and relax, Angel. You can help me set up everything once I get it out, but nothing else until then or I'll toss you into the water next." He joked.

Melia rolled her eyes and grinned, knowing she got her way even though Shulk was trying to play it off. She let him have it though and sat down by the beach, looking out at the water while she waited.

Melia caught a glimpse of Shulk finishing up and looked back ahead before he noticed her. Shulk came over to get her, but Melia could tell where he was without having to look by using her ether sense. She grinned as Shulk came closer, then pounced when he was right behind her, pulling him to the ground and getting on top of him.

The two playfully rough-housed for a bit before Shulk gave up. He wrapped his arms around Melia and pulled her down to him for a hug.

"That's what you get for not letting me help~" Melia teased.

"Alright, I got it. Message received." Shulk chuckled, "You can help now, Melia. That's actually what I was coming over here to tell you, but _somebody_ decided to attack me instead."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic~ I wasn't being _that_ rough~" Melia teased back.

Shulk started to feel a warmth in his chest as he looked up at Melia, seeing that bright and playful smile. He smiled back and reached up, giving her a tender kiss.

They broke the kiss and Melia got off him, holding out her hand and helping Shulk to his feet. She kept a hold on his hand as they walked over to the pile of bags and began setting up a campsite.

They finished getting their camp together around early afternoon and Melia went back over to the beach, taking a seat by the coastline. Shulk came up with a flower he picked in his hand and sat behind Melia.

"Flower for the beautiful lady." He said and added it to her headdress.

Melia smiled and leaned further back, resting her head in Shulk's lap.

"I can see why you picked a place like this to relax, Shulk." Melia commented.

"Yeah? What makes you say that?" Shulk asked.

"Tropical weather, a perfect spot to camp right by the water, and even the friendly Nopon around here can brighten anyone's mood if you don't mind their nature." Melia answered.

"Well yeah, all that stuff is nice, but that's actually not the main reason I chose to come here, those are just added bonuses." Shulk said.

"Really? Then what else could there be?" Melia asked.

"If I'm looking for a place to relax, I prefer areas that I feel like I have an attachment to or good memories around it. That's actually what lead me to picking that spot in Valak Mountain on your birthday." Shulk replied.

"Is that so? What is it that you feel attached to here, then?" Melia pressed.

Shulk started to smile, "A memory here. Sure, a lot of memorable things happened on our journey all that time ago, both good and bad, but I'd say the memory I have here is actually the best one out of them all."

"Sounds like you speak pretty highly of this certain memory, but what is it?" Melia asked.

Shulk's smile grew brighter and warmer as he gazed out at the lake, "I met a girl here. She ended up changing my life in more ways than I could've imagined, and all of them were for the better."

Melia's eyes grew wide and she turned bright red, "You're referring… to me? This is where we first met?"

"Well, not the _exact_ spot. The others were keeping an eye on you not too far away from here while you were unconscious, and I came down to this lake looking for ether crystals to help revive you. I figured this spot was close enough to warrant that, plus the view is a lot better." Shulk pointed out with a small laugh.

Melia smiled and reached her arms up, wrapping them around Shulk and pulling him down for a hug.

Shulk leaned closer and returned the hug, "Just having you here is more than enough for me to relax. I love you, Melia."

"I love you too, Shulk." She mused.

Their eyes met as they left each other's embrace. Shulk gazed into her eyes for another moment before leaning back down, giving her a gentle kiss and looking back out at the lake.

"You know, before Riki left to travel, he told me about a second spot he knows around here. He spoke pretty highly of it too, want to go check it out?" Shulk offered.

"Is that right? After the last place he recommended to us, I'm a bit curious to see what this other one is like. Let's go." Melia answered.

Shulk stood up and took Melia's hand. They headed out on foot and went to the southwest side of the forest, noticeably getting deeper in as thicker trees and even caves entered their sight.

Shulk guided her through one of the caves and a bright light emerged from the end of the passage. Melia shielded her eyes as they walked through, then her breath was taken away at her new surroundings. In any direction she looked, they were surrounded by giant waterfalls that stretched out as far as the eye could see and roared as they dropped for what seemed endlessly.

"Shulk… it's so beautiful here!" Melia cried.

The ground they had left to walk on was much smaller, only having a small plank of it that got narrower the further up they went. Melia walked to the edge and took a panoramic view of the area before looking down, seeing the waterfalls connecting to a lake below them with a lone island in the middle.

An array of colors forming in the sky caught Melia's attention and she watched with starry eyes as a rainbow began to appear. The scope of how high they really were started to sink in as she could see the rainbow forming right in front of her, she might have even been able to touch if only she could walk a bit further.

Shulk came up behind Melia and wrapped his arms around her waist as the rainbow finished taking shape.

"Not even all of this compares to how beautiful you are, Melia." Shulk mused.

Melia's heart skipped a beat and she held her hands over Shulk's, locking their fingers together as they watched the rainbow and listened to the roaring sounds of the waterfalls.

Shulk could feel his heart pounding as his revering gaze began to leave, his expression being replaced with one that looked both serious and nervous.

"Melia…" Shulk started.

"What is it, Shulk?" Melia asked and turned around, noticing the look on his face.

"It's about yesterday. I told you that I would explain why I'm doing this surgery." Shulk said.

Melia's eyes softened and she could almost feel a frown starting to form on her lips, but something about Shulk's demeanor kept that from happening. He looked so serious, but somehow gave off this warm and welcoming aura at the same time.

 _You may be oblivious at times, Shulk, but I'm sure even you would know not to bring that up at a time like this without good reason…_

"And that reason is?" Melia asked.

Shulk closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then held Melia's hand, clasping both his hands over it as he looked her right in her eyes, "I know that we've already talked it over, and you're still right on what you said, but there's actually something that both of us missed. The amount of chances we get in life isn't what's important, it's what you have to _live for_ that makes it mean anything. I've been thinking about what that could possibly be for a while now, and I have my answer… it's you, Melia. _You're_ what's most important to me and gives my life meaning, but I knew in the back of my mind that it couldn't last forever because of the differences in our lifespans. I just… I just can't picture having to eventually leave you like that, Melia. When we all created this new world, we did it so that everyone could have a chance at the future they wanted, and the future I want is one with you and where we can always be together. The real reason I've been so insistent on having this operation isn't just to increase my lifespan, it's because I want to be with you for as long as I can and make that future possible. That's why I still want to go through with this, but before that happens, I've had something I've been meaning to ask you…"

Melia turned bright red and sparkles appeared in her eyes. His words kept repeating in her mind and her heart would start fluttering at every word.

 _I'm… I'm his purpose? He's doing something this drastic because… he wants to stay with me? And what he said about wanting a future together and having something to ask me… Shulk, you can't possibly mean-_

Melia's train of thought suddenly froze, even time itself had felt like it stopped as she watched Shulk get down on one knee. She covered her mouth and felt like she couldn't breathe as Shulk reached into his pocket.

Shulk took his hand out and held a black box in his palm, "After this surgery is over and my lifespan increases, I want to spend every day of that added time with you. And I want to stay at your side as you lead the High Entia, but I want it to be more than just as your consort… I want it to be as your husband. Melia Antiqua, will you marry me?"

Shulk then opened the box, revealing a platinum engagement ring with diamond accents and a halo surrounding a blue, oval-shaped crystal in the center.

Tears filled Melia's eyes and she gasped at the sight of the ring, "Shulk… yes! Yes, I will!"

Shulk beamed and stood back up, taking Melia's hand and sliding the ring over her finger. Melia couldn't bring herself to stop crying and threw her arms around Shulk, hugging him tightly and soaking his clothes in tears.

Shulk lifted Melia's head up to try and wipe her tears, but she suddenly lunged forward, pressing her lips to his and giving him a passionate kiss. Shulk returned the kiss and pulled her closer, deepening it as strong waves of joy surged through them.

Shulk broke the kiss and managed to wipe away Melia's tears. He smiled brightly as Melia wrapped her arms back around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I love you, Melia." Shulk mused.

"I love you too, Shulk! I love you so much!" Melia cried.

Shulk held Melia in a close embrace and wouldn't let go until she stopped crying. They shared one more deep kiss before leaving Makna Falls and went back to their camp.

* * *

Late into the evening, Shulk and Melia were sitting outside and cuddling close by a fire they made. Shulk sat behind her with his legs opened while Melia sat in between them.

Melia was constantly looking down at her hand and smiling. Shulk caught her staring at the ring and smiled as he placed his hand underneath hers, locking their fingers together.

"I'm glad you like the ring, and I'm so happy you said yes, Melia. You wouldn't believe how nervous I've been about this for the past week." Shulk said and laughed softly.

"Of course I would have, Shulk. You didn't have to be nervous." Melia assured him.

Melia held up her ring hand, "Though, I'm a bit curious about something, Shulk. This blue gemstone in the center, it doesn't appear to be sapphire."

"You're right, it's not. It was made from those ether crystals I took back with us in Valak Mountain." Shulk replied.

"From when you wanted to learn how to use ether?" Melia asked.

"Well, yeah…" Shulk answered nervously, "I needed a jeweler to help me make it, but I decided to use those crystals instead because I wanted your ring to be special, something that a meaning behind it."

"Shulk…" Melia mused.

Melia glanced down again at her ring and seen it in a completely different light now, and she noticed that same change in Shulk as she looked back up at him. Their eyes met and they both started to blush, seeing sparkles appear in the other's eyes as they gazed into them.

Melia placed her ring hand over Shulk's chest and thought he must have felt the same way with how fast his heart was racing. A warmth enveloped them and everything began to fade into the background until all they could focus on was each other.

Their blushing grew as Melia leaned closer, and she stopped right before their lips met.

"It doesn't matter if you solely made it or not. I love the ring, and I love _you_ , Shulk." Melia cooed.

Shulk placed a hand over hers and wrapped his other arm around her waist, "I love you too, Melia."

They closed their eyes and Melia leaned in as they shared a passionate kiss. The warmth they felt grew with the kiss as it deepened, and so did this feeling of wanting to be even closer to each other. It became too much for Melia to control and she leaned further into Shulk, pushing him onto his back.

Melia climbed on top of Shulk and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down to him and into another deep kiss.

Shulk could feel everything going hazy as Melia softly moaned into his lips, but he broke out of his stupor as her hand went lower down his body and inside his pants. He broke the kiss and pulled Melia's arm away before she could go any further.

"Wait, Melia, someone might see us out here." He murmured.

Just to mess with him a little, Melia glanced around the area before looking back down at Shulk.

"I don't see anyone around, do you?~" Melia grinned.

"Well… no, but other travelers or merchants might come by, or…" Shulk nervously stammered.

Melia placed a finger over Shulk's lips, "It's okay, Boo. I don't sense anyone else's ether nearby, it's just us here."

Melia put on a mischievous smirk and came closer, "Besides, you said you came here to relax, didn't you?~ I have something in mind that might help~"

Melia moved her finger away and leaned in, kissing him softly as her hand began moving down his body again. Her fingers slid underneath the waistline of his pants and she paused, seeing if Shulk might stop her again. He did reach out and grab her wrist, but instead of pulling her hand back out, he guided her lower and urged her to keep going.

Their tongues began to swirl over each other's while Melia's hand slid between Shulk's thighs. She gently took his balls into her palm and played with them while Shulk's hands caressed her slender body as they moved up.

Shulk slid his hand underneath Melia's top and cupped her breasts from the inside of her bra. Melia faintly moaned from his touch and broke the kiss, giving a mischievous giggle as her hands followed suit and traveled up his body. She removed his top and her eyes blazed at the sight of his abs on full display.

Their eyes locked onto each other and Melia bit her lip before leaning down and kissing him aggressively. Shulk returned the kiss and tried to remove her shirt, but Melia grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head.

Melia broke the kiss and shot Shulk a grin, "We're here for _you_ , remember?~"

Shulk's heart began to race as Melia leaned closer to his neck. She kissed and left hickeys on the side of his neck before moving up to his ear, making Shulk eagerly shudder as her lips brushed against it.

"Be good and keep your hands up here, and I might have something special for you~" Melia whispered.

Melia brought her lips closer and gave Shulk a deep, passionate kiss. She nibbled on his bottom lip after they broke the kiss and moved down, kissing sections of his body as her head traveled lower. She stopped at his waist and sat up a little, grabbing the edges of his pants and removing them to reveal his manhood.

Melia wrapped her hand around Shulk's dick and began stroking it, starting out slow and listening to him softly moan as he grew harder.

Melia's eagerness became more irresistible with every throb from Shulk's cock in her hand. She looked down at his cock and licked her lips before gazing back up at Shulk.

"Remember, Shulk, no touching~" She teased.

Melia repositioned herself and brought her lips closer to his cock, kissing and gently swirling her tongue over the glans. She took his cock into her mouth and hollowed her cheeks, moaning softly as her head bobbed up and down his shaft.

"Melia~" Shulk mused and arched his back.

Melia opened her eyes and looked up at Shulk. She quietly giggled to herself, seeing how much he was enjoying it and how tempted he was to put his hand on her head.

Melia then closed her eyes and readied herself, thrusting her head further down Shulk's cock and trying to control her gag reflex as it hit the back of her throat.

The quick rush of pleasure was too much for Shulk and he felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He moaned and tried to place his hand on her head, but Melia seen it coming and batted it away as she took his cock out of her mouth.

"Mm, mm, mm!~" Melia playfully wagged her finger side to side and pointed behind him, "Put your hand back where it was, Shulk~"

Shulk did what he was told and Melia traced a finger up his body as she came closer. She paused as their lips were about to press together and splayed her hand over his chest, raising her fingers up into a clawing position.

"I better not catch you doing that again~" Melia purred.

Melia leaned down and gave Shulk an aggressive kiss, making him moan into her lips as her nails raked across his chest and left marks.

Shulk broke the kiss and nibbled on Melia's bottom lip, giving her a smirk after he let go.

"You're making it tempting to see what happens if I do~" Shulk teased.

"I think you'll like what I have planned better if you behave~" Melia teased back.

After another kiss, Melia lowered her head back down near Shulk's thighs, not even hesitating to take his cock back into her mouth. She had always been a girl who felt more comfortable being in control, and seeing how she had Shulk in the palm of her hand like this only spurred her on more. She could hear her blood roaring in her ears and her juices were practically dripping out as she tried to bring Shulk to his climax.

The intensity of Melia's arousal became too much to ignore and she slid a hand inside her skirt. Her hand reached into her panties and she thrusted a finger inside her wet entrance, desperately trying to seek relief as her lips glided faster over her fiancés cock.

"Melia!~" Shulk cried out and tilted his head back.

Melia could feel Shulk tensing up and she moved her head away. She wrapped her hand around his dick and kept stroking as she looked up at him.

"Are you getting close, Boo?~" Melia purred.

"I-… I'm almost there~" Shulk pleaded as everything around him began to blur.

Melia smirked and took her hand off his cock. Her hands moved to the edges of her shirt and she took it off, revealing a laced, purple bra.

"You've been good for the most part~" Melia purred.

Melia reached behind her and unclipped her bra. Her breasts subtly bounced from the freedom and she cupped them in her hands, pressing them together and making them bounce more to spur Shulk on a little.

"Ready for your reward, Shulk?~" Melia cooed.

Shulk could only eagerly nod and Melia leaned down, moving her breasts further apart before clasping his cock in between them. She squeezed her breasts together and began to move them up and down his shaft.

"Oh my God~ Melia!~" Shulk purred.

Time felt like it slowed as Shulk's eyes rolled back. The soft touch from Melia's breasts sent waves of pleasure throughout his body as he blissfully moaned.

The sounds of his moaning was like music to Melia's ears and made her wings start fluttering. She desperately wanted to hear more and leaned her head down, gently swirling her tongue over the head of his cock as she clasped her breasts tighter around his shaft.

Melia got more than what she was hoping for as Shulk's moaning grew heavier. He reached for the first thing that was closest to him, grabbing tightly onto one of the tent's beams as his whole body shook.

"Melia, I'm cumming!~" Shulk cried out.

Melia moved her lips away and her eyes blazed as she looked up at him.

"Cum for me, Shulk~" She pleaded softly.

Shulk's vision turned to a white light and he gave one last thrust, reaching perfect bliss as he hit his climax and covered Melia's breasts in hot cum.

Melia licked her lips at how much of his cum shot out while Shulk took a second to recover. His vision started to clear and his body shuddered as he tried to catch his breath.

"Feeling better now, Shulk?~" Melia cooed.

"Much better~" Shulk breathed out.

Melia softly giggled as Shulk's head fell back onto the ground, still feeling too dazed to move.

"Here, let me clean you off~" Melia purred.

Melia took Shulk's cock out from between her breasts and leaned down, taking it back into her mouth.

"Melia~" Shulk was overly sensitive from his orgasm and his hips started bucking as Melia's reddened lips slid over his shaft. His moaning grew husky and he placed his hand on Melia's head, the last of his cum seeping into her mouth as her tongue spiraled around his cock.

Melia swallowed his cum and kissed the head of his dick before sitting back up. She cleaned herself off and reached for her clothes, but Shulk suddenly sprung himself up, grabbing Melia's wrist and lunging forward to give her a passionate and aggressive kiss.

Melia easily sunk into it and closed her eyes, feeling that burning desire for him coming back as she returned the kiss. As it deepened, Shulk's hands went down to Melia's waist and he removed her skirt, leaving the last two things she had on to be her stockings and a matching pair of laced, purple panties.

Melia broke the kiss and her eyes grew wide, seeing a deep purple glow covering Shulk's arms and legs.

"Your turn~" Shulk grinned and wrapped his arms around her thighs.

Melia let out a startled yelp as Shulk easily lifted her up. She held tightly onto him as he carried her and pinned her against a nearby tree.

Melia reflexively hooked her legs around Shulk after her back hit the tree, but her eyes were fixated on that strange glow surrounding him.

"Shulk, what is that?" Melia murmured.

"It's fine, Angel, look behind me." Shulk grinned and nudged his head.

Melia looked over Shulk's shoulder, seeing his sword on the ground next to their tent and covered in the same glow.

"The Monado is what's doing this?" She murmured.

"I'm the one controlling it, but yes, that's where it's coming from. The Monado affects my body too, so I got a bit 'creative' on what I can do with it~" Shulk purred.

"Creative as in…" Melia asked again.

Shulk put on a suggestive grin, "Let me show you~"

Still keeping Melia held up, Shulk took a step away from the tree and fixed his grip on her. Using the glow from the Monado to increase his strength, he easily lifted Melia up higher and rested her legs on his shoulders.

Shulk rested Melia back against the tree and she started to blush after she came out of her shock, seeing his head between her legs and how close he was to her pussy.

Shulk looked up at Melia with a grin, "What do you think?~"

Melia eagerly bit her lip and ran her hand through Shulk's hair before grabbing a cluster of it, "Impressive, but how about you show me what you can do with your tongue~"

Melia moved her panties to the side and parted her lips as she pulled Shulk closer, yanking him by his hair and shoving his head in between her thighs.

Shulk closed his eyes and took a long lick at her folds. He softly moaned from the sweet taste of her juices and started lapping his tongue.

"Shulk~" Melia closed her eyes and tilted her head back, moaning blissfully from the pleasure.

Shulk stopped lapping his tongue and he delved deeper inside, getting a feel for Melia's inner walls as he tried to find her sensitive spots.

Melia's moaning grew louder and she tightened her grip on Shulk's hair as he went deeper. His tongue hit one of her spots and her body began to shudder as she dripped with precum.

"More, Shulk!~ More!~" Melia begged.

Shulk started to feel intoxicated and like he was going dizzy as he swallowed Melia's precum. He moved closer to her clit and teasingly flicked his tongue before swirling over it, moaning softly and licking faster as a rush of lust-filled adrenaline shot through his body.

Melia released a loud whimper and her body started to tense up. She tightened her thighs around Shulk's head and grinded on his face, his tongue feeling like it left trails of fire as her climax came closer.

"Oh my God, yes!~ Right there, Shulk!~ Don't stop!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk swirled his tongue as fast as possible over Melia's clit, feeling spurred on and wanting to give her an orgasm worthy of her loud moaning and pleading.

"Shulk!~" Melia blurted out his name as loud as she could and shoved his head harder in between her thighs, drowning in pleasure as she reached her climax and coated Shulk's lips in her cum.

Shulk flicked his tongue over Melia's slit while she was still basking in the afterglow, sending small jolts of pleasure up her body as he swallowed her cum.

Melia's breathing was still hitched but she was gradually recovering while Shulk cleaned her off. He swallowed every last drop of her cum and gently began to lower her off his shoulders.

Shulk brought Melia down to his level and she suddenly hooked her legs around his waist, refusing to get back on the ground just yet. Their gaze met and Melia wrapped her arms around Shulk's neck while he fixed his grip, placing his hands underneath her to keep her held up. They shared a passionate kiss as Shulk pinned her back against the tree, deepening it as his hands reached further up to give Melia's ass a firm squeeze.

Melia broke the kiss and let out a faint gasp as she felt a throbbing between her thighs, seeing Shulk's cock resting against her slit from the outside of her panties. The warmth from it and the throbbing over her pussy began to spur her on and she eagerly bit her lip.

"Ready, Angel?~" Shulk grinned.

Melia nodded and moved her panties again to the side, spreading her folds apart as Shulk lined his cock up to her wet entrance. She wrapped her arms around him and they shared another kiss as Shulk's cock slid inside, making Melia dig her nails into his skin as he went deeper.

Shulk could tell Melia was still sensitive from her previous orgasm and started with slow, gentle thrusts. He leaned closer and hid his face by the side of Melia's neck, kissing and biting at it as his cock repeatedly disappeared inside of her.

"Shulk~" Melia mused and tightened her legs around him.

Shulk began to feel spurred on as Melia's moaning grew heavier and her walls clenched around his cock, but he fought back the urge to break the slow pace he set. He knew Melia didn't have as high of stamina, so he wanted her to rest before pushing herself too hard.

Melia moved closer to his ear, "Harder, Shulk~" She softly purred.

"But, Melia…" He murmured hesitantly.

Melia lifted his head and gently pressed her forehead to his, "Don't worry, Boo, I'm okay now~"

"Are you sure?" Shulk murmured.

"Mhm~" Melia purred and grinned eagerly.

Melia gave Shulk a soft kiss as he pulled his hips back, leaving the head of his cock right by her entrance. She broke the kiss and braced herself, and in one quick motion, Shulk gave her ass a tight squeeze and slammed his hips back against her, burying his cock deeply and roughly back inside her.

"Shulk!~" Melia mewled and raked her nails across his back.

Shulk's eyes grew wide with worry, thinking he might have been too rough on her.

"Are you all right, Melia?" Shulk bleated out.

Melia pulled Shulk closer and pressed her lips to his, giving him a kiss that was just as rough. Their tongues swirled over each other's and Melia used her legs to bring Shulk's hips closer, trying to get his cock to go deeper as she moaned into the kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and their gaze met. Her wings began to flutter and her eyes blazed as she looked into his.

"Keep going, Shulk~ Just like that~" Melia pleaded.

Shulk grinned and leaned in for another kiss. After the kiss broke, he shoved Melia harder against the tree and gave her ass another squeeze as he thrusted, burying his cock so deep that he was hitting her womb.

"Yes!~ More, Shulk!~ Give me more!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk felt spurred on and gave her just what she wanted. He kept a firm grip on Melia's ass and repeatedly slammed his cock deep inside her tight entrance, making her body shudder as she moaned from the pleasure.

Shulk's stamina finally caught up with him and his thrusting slowed down. His breathing started to hitch and fatigue set in as a layer of sweat sheened over his skin.

"Shulk, put me down for a minute." Melia murmured.

Shulk paused to take a deep breath, then gently set Melia back on the ground.

"Let me take care of you while you catch your breath~" Melia purred.

Melia gave Shulk a quick kiss before sinking to her knees. She placed her hands on Shulk's hips and shut her eyes as she leaned closer, taking his cock into her mouth.

"Melia~" Shulk rasped and put his hand on her head.

Melia felt like her brain had short-circuited as she tasted her own juices on his cock. She wrapped her hand around his dick and quickly stroked as her head bobbed faster up and down his shaft.

"Oh, God~ Melia!~" Shulk cried out.

Just like Melia, Shulk's mind drew a blank and everything began to blur from the pleasure. Any coherent thoughts the two of them had were gone, with the only things they could understand being how badly they needed each other and desperately wanting to hit their climax.

Shulk's eyes rolled back and he held Melia's head in place as he fucked her mouth, his moaning growing husky as he hit the back of her throat with each thrust.

Melia was drowning so deep in lust that she didn't need to focus on her gag reflex. Her hands reached behind Shulk, squeezing his ass and pulling his hips closer as he thrusted.

Melia could feel Shulk's cock pulsing in her mouth and she stopped him before standing back up, "Don't cum just yet, Shulk~"

Melia turned around and grabbed the edges of her panties, pulling them down and letting them fall to her feet. She kicked them to the side and bent over against the tree, leaving the last bit of clothing she had on to be her fur-covered stockings.

Shulk was practically entranced at the sight of Melia's ass on display. He positioned himself behind her and rested his hand on her soft ass, giving it a squeeze followed by a loud slap.

Melia bit her lip and started to moan as Shulk repeatedly smacked her ass, leaving red marks on both sides.

"You like that?~" Shulk teased and smacked her ass harder.

Melia shoved her hips back against him, pressing his cock against her ass and she started to grind on it.

"I do, but I can think of something else I'd like even more~" She teased back.

Melia spread her legs further apart and Shulk lined his cock up to her pussy. He parted her folds and buried his cock back inside, giving her ass a firm squeeze as he thrusted in and out of her tight entrance.

"Melia~" Shulk softly purred as her walls clenched around him.

Melia suddenly slammed her hips back against Shulk, making him moan louder as his cock went deeper and sent a quick jolt of pleasure through his body.

Melia giggled and continued moving her hips, angling his cock to hit her sensitive spots while she fucked him back.

"Careful, Shulk, someone might hear you~" Melia teased.

Melia's giggling stopped and she quietly gasped, her eyes growing wide in surprise as Shulk tightly squeezed her hips and held her still.

"That's how you want to play, huh?" Shulk purred.

Shulk yanked Melia's hips closer as he thrusted back, slamming his cock inside of her as deep and rough as possible.

"Shulk!~" Melia mewled. The sudden and intense rush of pleasure shot through her like a bullet and she let out a moan even louder than Shulk did.

Shulk grinned mischievously while he gave Melia a second to recover. He could hear her moaning breathlessly and she was shaking slightly as her juices ran down his cock.

"Careful, Melia, someone might hear you~" Shulk teased back.

"I don't care…" Melia quietly murmured.

Shulk's ears perked up and he froze.

 _Did… did I just hear that correctly?_

"I don't care who sees or hears us anymore, Shulk!~ The only thing that matters right now is me and you!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk's heart started fluttering and Melia slammed her hips into him again, breaking him out of his stupor and making him moan as his cock disappeared inside of her.

Melia turned her head so she could see him in her peripheral, "Shulk, please… I need you~"

Shulk's heart continued to race as he looked at Melia. Even though he could only see a small portion of her face, it was more than enough to notice that pleading expression she had, like she was begging for him to stop hesitating.

Shulk composed himself and fixed his position. He rested his hands on Melia's hips, squeezing them as his thrusting gradually ramped up until he was at max speed.

"Yes, yes, yes!~ Don't stop, Shulk~ I'm almost there!~" Melia pleaded.

Both of them began to moan loudly and frantically, losing themselves in the moment and not having a care for anything else but each other as their climax came closer.

Shulk could feel Melia's walls clenching tighter and he reached his arm around her, circling his fingers over her clit and trying to have her finish first.

Melia's entire figure shook from his touch and she leaned more against the tree, barely able to keep herself up as her climax came crashing down hard.

"Shulk~ I'm cumming!~" Melia cried out.

Melia's body tensed up and her eyes rolled back, letting out a satisfied moan as the tension suddenly released and she came.

More lust-filled adrenaline shot through Shulk's body as her cum ran down his cock. Before Melia could catch her breath, he pulled out and turned her around so they were facing each other, then kissed her aggressively as he shoved her back against the tree. Melia didn't seem to mind how rough he was being, even feeling spurred on from it as she returned the kiss.

Shulk broke the kiss and hooked his arm around Melia's thigh. She eagerly bit her lip as Shulk lifted her leg up and lined his cock to her entrance, then shuddered as it disappeared inside of her.

Melia let out a loud moan and her breasts subtly bounced as Shulk's cock ravaged her tight entrance. She reached her hand between her legs, frenetically rubbing her clit as every thrust from Shulk sent shockwaves of pleasure up her body.

Shulk was already spurred on by Melia's moaning, but her walls tightly clenching over his cock were what sent him over the edge. His cock pulsed back against her walls and he moaned as he felt his climax coming on.

"Melia, I'm cumming!~" Shulk cried out.

Melia's head tilted up and her body quaked from the pleasure as Shulk thrusted as fast and hard as he could. She could feel another orgasm building up and tried to match Shulk's pace as she rubbed her clit, but he pulled out before they could reach a climax at the same time.

Melia's leg dropped back onto the ground but she could barely keep herself standing from Shulk's last assault. She rested against the tree to stay held up and looked over at Shulk, excitedly biting her lip at the sight of him frantically stroking his cock.

Melia played with her clit while she watched Shulk, her soft moaning being masked underneath his. Shulk's hand started moving faster across his shaft and he let out one last moan as he reached his orgasm, with Melia gazing hungrily as his cum shot out.

Shulk's stroking slowed down as he finished his orgasm and panted while he tried to catch his breath. He could hear moaning in between his breaths that sounded like it was getting louder and he turned his head in the direction of it, seeing Melia with her eyes closed and her head arched up while her fingers were racing over her slit.

Melia could feel his gaze on her and looked over. She was already spurred on from watching Shulk, but her eagerness only grew as their eyes locked onto each other.

"Shulk…" Melia mused.

Shulk grinned and came back over to Melia. He moved her hand out of the way and took over, kissing her deeply as his fingers rubbed over her slit.

Melia moaned into his lips before breaking the kiss and she pressed her forehead to his.

"Shulk… I still need you…" Melia begged softly.

"I know, Angel. Let me help you~" Shulk cooed.

Shulk leaned in and gave Melia another kiss as he slid two fingers past her folds. He slowly moved them inside of her, trying to keep a steady pace and build up to one last climax.

Shulk's fingers gradually started moving faster as they deepened the kiss. Melia released a needy moan into his lips and her walls clenched around his fingers as they thrusted in and out of her entrance.

Melia's hips bucked against Shulk's fingers and her precum leaked over them. She let out another moan into his lips before breaking it and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Shulk…" Melia pleaded.

Shulk could tell how badly Melia needed more just from the look in her eyes. He took his hand out from between her legs and leaned closer, giving her a tender kiss as he gently rested her back against the tree.

Shulk broke the kiss and gazed back into Melia's pleading eyes, "I know, Angel. Just lay back and relax, I'll take care of the rest~"

Melia eagerly bit her lip and placed her hand on Shulk's head as she watched him sink to his knees.

Shulk took a slow lick at Melia's folds and played with her juices, then delved his tongue inside and tried to focus solely on her more sensitive spots.

"Shulk~" Melia closed her eyes and her head tilted upwards, moaning blissfully as Shulk's tongue sent waves of desperately-needed relief around her body.

Melia's mind became so hazy from the pleasure that she didn't notice her hips bucking or that she was shoving Shulk's head harder in between her thighs. Shulk didn't seem to mind either way, even feeling spurred on from it as he moaned and lapped his tongue.

Wanting to be a bit of a tease and build up her climax more, Shulk brought his tongue closer to her clit and slowed down his pace a little as he flicked over it.

Melia released a needy whimper and she started to shudder anxiously, "Shulk, please, don't tease me like this~"

Shulk could feel how close Melia was to her climax and figured he'd kept her waiting for it long enough. His hands reached behind Melia before she could say anything more, pulling her hips closer and tightly squeezing her ass as his tongue buried deep inside of her.

Melia faintly yelped in surprise, then she was suddenly hit with a rush of ecstasy as Shulk's tongue found one of her spots. She lustfully moaned and gripped his hair tighter as he focused solely on that spot.

"Right there, Shulk!~ Right there!~" Melia cried.

Shulk didn't let up his assault and lapped his tongue as fast as he could, wanting to bring her to one last and explosive climax.

"Shulk~ I'm cumming!~" Melia cried out.

Melia bit her lip and tensed up as a mix of moaning and whimpering escaped through her teeth. Her eyes rolled back and even her jaw flew open, leaving her tongue hanging out as a burst of pleasure brought her to her climax and she came.

Shulk's tongue continued lapping as he tried to swallow all of Melia's gushing orgasm. He finished cleaning her off and stood back up, but Melia was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she collapsed and Shulk threw his arms around her to catch her.

Melia was left breathless and her wings began fluttering as Shulk pulled her closer. She stayed in his arms and nuzzled against him while Shulk waited for her to regain her energy.

"That was amazing~" Melia exhaustedly purred.

"It was~ I love you, Melia~" Shulk mused and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, Boo~" Melia cooed and weakly wrapped her arms around him.

Melia finally caught her breath and Shulk let her out of his arms. They stumbled as they went to pick up their clothes, feeling so exhausted that they could barely coordinate.

The two went inside their tent and Melia immediately fell into bed while Shulk set their clothes down in a pile, both of them too tired to even redress.

Shulk was crawling into bed and Melia suddenly threw her arms around him, pulling him down and causing him to lose his balance.

Shulk caught himself before he fell and instantly blushed once he got his bearings. He was sitting right above Melia, and the way he placed his hands to break his fall made it look like he had her pinned down.

Melia giggled tiredly and mischievously as she hooked her legs around Shulk. They locked eyes and she started to blush as her arms moved up to his neck.

"Again? What's gotten into you, Angel?" Shulk chuckled.

"I don't know how to explain it, Shulk, I just want to feel you closer to me~" Melia purred and pulled him down to her.

"Are you still tired?" Shulk murmured.

"Only a little, but I'll be all right if I lay down for a minute." Melia purred.

Shulk gave Melia a small kiss and softly gazed into her eyes, "Alright, Angel, I'll take care of you while you rest~"

The two shared a deep, passionate kiss as Melia unhooked her legs from him. Shulk broke the kiss and Melia placed her hand on top of his head while he traveled lower, leaving kisses down her slender body as they continued into the night.

The next morning, Shulk woke to the sounds of birdsong and light seeping through a small opening in their tent's door zipper. He groaned softly and shielded his eyes as they slowly opened.

Shulk groggily reached his arm out and fully closed the door. He planned on going back to bed and turned over, but his eyes grew wide and he instantly started to blush at the sight of Melia. Neither of them were dressed and the only thing concealing them was the blanket they slept under, but it was only covering the lower half of their bodies, and he seen Melia fast asleep with her bare breasts exposed.

 _We couldn't have even bothered to get changed afterwards? How late were we up till?_

"Melia." Shulk said quietly and nudged her, gently trying to wake her up.

Melia mumbled in her sleep and moved closer to Shulk. She threw her arms around him and pulled him closer to her chest, cuddling him like one of her stuffed animals.

"Melia! Come on, Angel, wake up!" Shulk said a bit louder and laughed about it, even though he was feeling smothered by her.

Melia tiredly sighed as her eyes slowly began to open.

"What is it, Shulk?" She asked, still sounding half-asleep.

"Other than the fact you were about to suffocate me?" Shulk chuckled and broke out of her grip.

Melia was too tired to answer while Shulk laid on his back next to her. Some sunlight seeped through the material of their tent and she covered her eyes.

"So bright..." Melia mumbled and clung on to Shulk.

"It's morning, Melia, how can you still be tired?" Shulk asked.

"We haven't even been asleep for that long, Boo. We went to bed when the sun was close to rising." Melia tiredly replied.

"Wait, seriously? We were up that late?" Shulk gawked, "That can't be right. After we came back into the tent… it was just that one last time then we went to bed, right?"

Melia began to smirk, it made her look so adorable coupled with her tired eyes.

"Not just once, Boo, it was _four_ times~" Melia purred.

"…Four? _Four different times?_ " Shulk gawked.

Melia softly giggled and nuzzled closer to Shulk.

"I guess we just couldn't get enough of each other~" She teased and kissed his collar bone.

"Four times…" Shulk quietly repeated to himself, still trying to understand how that was possible.

Melia was about to doze off but she opened her eyes back up, still seeing that worried and confused look on Shulk's face.

"Stop stressing over it, Shulk." Melia whined in a cute and tired voice, "You're just having a hard time remembering because you're still tired."

Shulk tried to let it go and turned onto his side so he could face Melia.

Melia playfully tapped her finger on his nose and latched back on to him, nesting her head by his collar bone.

"Back to bed, Shulk. You'll feel better when you wake up." Melia said.

"Okay, Angel." Shulk gave in. He held Melia close and kissed the top of her head, "Good night."

"Good night, Boo. Sweet dreams." Melia cooed, smiling softly as they both drifted to sleep.

A few more hours had passed and Shulk began to stir. It was still bright outside and he looked down, seeing Melia was awake and cuddling him while he slept.

"Good morning. Feeling better now, Shulk?" Melia asked and left a kiss on his chest.

"Morning. And yes, much better now." Shulk answered.

"Told you so~" Melia smiled and gave him a hug.

Shulk returned the hug and gently pulled her head closer to his chest, "We should be getting ready soon, but we can stay like this for a bit longer if you want."

Melia nodded and they cuddled for a while longer before finally getting dressed and out of bed. They took down their campsite and loaded everything back into the ship before taking off, with Melia constantly looking down at her ring and smiling during the ride back home.

Back in Alcamoth, Shulk and Melia went to their Villa so they could unpack and relax for a bit, then got ready and headed to the hospital for Shulk's operation.

Shulk had to stay in the hospital for three days prior to the surgery to monitor his health and make sure he was okay to undergo it, and Melia was at his side the entirety of the wait.

On the day of the operation, Melia had a group of Imperial Guards take a transport ship and fly to Colony 9. She wanted to inform their friends about Shulk's surgery and offer them the chance to come visit, and little to her surprise, every one of them had shown.

It became rather crowded in Shulk's room before the operation was about to start: Their friends were all there, with Melia and Fiora sitting on either side of Shulk's bed, a High Entia medical team lead by a surgeon named Dr. Nagoya, and Lilith was also present with two administrators from M.S.I.T to assist the surgeon and record the results. The administrators looked similar enough to each other to assume they were brothers, and the names on their tags read, "Zane" and "Caine".

The rest of their friends were gathered around the medical team and asking questions, while Reyn glanced over at Shulk's bedside and looked puzzled.

"I'm not exactly an expert on how this works, but why isn't Melia in a hospital bed? Ain't she needed for this splicing or whatever you call it?" Reyn asked.

"Not necessarily." Dr. Nagoya answered, "We're not using a High Entia as the splicing sample, and even if we were, the empress would be the last person we'd consider putting at risk."

"So, if you're not using another person, then how is this going to work?" Sharla asked.

"As I'm sure you all know, there are no more pure-blooded High Entia. All of the current High Entia are mixed with other heritages, and we want to keep the splicing sample as close to genuine High Entia DNA as possible. So, to do that… we're using a Telethia as the sample." Dr. Nagoya answered.

"Wait, _a Telethia?!_ Where are you possibly going to find-" Sharla suddenly cut herself off and covered her mouth as images of the Telethia carcasses at M.S.I.T flooded her mind, "Oh my God…" She fearfully whimpered.

"Wait, _that's_ why you had all those Telethia laying about your guys' office?! I thought you said they were to work on a cure?!" Reyn demanded.

Zane stepped forward to answer him, "They were. We already have a prototype of the cure ready in a syringe, but we have no way of testing it since there are no more living Telethia. The ones you saw in the lab are being kept in those tubes so their bodies don't decompose, and we kept the carcasses on the rare chance of getting to test the cure. If for whatever reason the cure didn't work, we would still have the carcasses to extract more data and make it so the cure _does_ work."

"Then why are you using the carcasses for other experiments if they're that important?" Dunban asked.

"We found something peculiar about the Telethia's anatomy while we were developing the cure. The ones you saw in the lab are confirmed to be dead and we've been using samples from them to work on the cure, but overtime, they would regenerate anything we removed from them. We wanted to see how far their regenerative abilities could be pushed and gradually removed more from them, we even took out entire limbs and organs, but the Telethia would still grow back whatever we removed. Even though they're dead, so long as we can keep their carcasses from decomposing, the Telethia could be a practically unlimited resource." Zane explained.

"So you're just going to keep using them for whatever twisted experiments you want until a living Telethia miraculously appears?" Sharla hissed.

Even Melia started to glare, knowing there was truth in her friend's words.

"We're not forcing the consort into any of this. In fact, we advised to have someone else undergo the surgery, but the consort was insistent on the first patient being him. We've been taking every last precaution before possibly putting him at risk, we even picked which of the Telethia would be best suited for the operation and have been keeping it in prime condition for the past year and a half now." Zane said.

"Wait, a year and a half, you said?" Reyn interrupted.

A glare appeared on Reyn's face and he stormed over to Shulk's bedside, slamming his hands down on the rails, "You've had this planned even way back then?! Why the hell didn't you tell us that, Shulk?!"

"Classified information… and I didn't want you guys to worry." Shulk answered softly and lowered his head.

"You kept something this serious hidden from us because you thought we'd be worried?! Well, you don't have to be so concerned with us, Shulk, because _you're_ the one who's about to have something to worry about!" Reyn snapped.

Reyn raised his fist and tried to hit Shulk, but Dunban and Sharla stepped in, grabbing his arm and pushing him away.

"Who even _are_ you anymore?! The Shulk I know wouldn't keep something like that hidden from his friends! All you're missing is the lab coat and I would've sworn I was talking to Zanza!" Reyn yelled.

"That's enough, Reyn!" Dunban shouted back.

Reyn didn't pay any attention to Dunban and threw his head in the direction of the medical team and M.S.I.T staff.

"You people are sick! You're telling me you don't see _anything_ wrong with what you're trying to do here?! How are you going to live with yourselves if something were to go wrong? What if he turned into a Telethia or something, how would you be able to even look at yourselves after something like that?!" Reyn demanded.

"Shulk could… could turn into a Telethia?" Melia's voice broke as she spoke up and she tightly gripped onto Shulk's hand.

Shulk looked over and caught a glimpse of how terrified Melia looked before she moved her head down. She started visibly shaking and her lip quivered as tiny whimpers escaped.

"No, that won't happen, Melia. Come here." Shulk quickly stated and pulled her into a hug.

Melia leaned over Shulk's bedside and hugged him tightly while she cried with her face buried in his shoulder.

"Shulk, please… please don't do this. I don't want to lose you, not in the same way I lost my brother." Melia sobbed.

"Look at me, Angel." Shulk said softly. He lifted Melia's head and wiped her tears as she looked into his eyes.

"Melia, I promise you that won't happen. I wouldn't even _think_ of going through with this operation if I felt that it would end badly. I'll be okay, and transforming into a Telethia isn't going to happen." Shulk assured her.

Melia didn't say anything back, only hiding her face again and refusing to let him go while she cried.

Shulk protectively cradled Melia in his arms and glared at everyone in the room.

"All of you, knock it off! She's been scared about this as it is, and you're all making it worse by arguing and putting thoughts like that in her head! If you have anything else you want to talk about, then do it outside!" Shulk growled.

The room went silent and everyone froze for a few moments before shamefully lowering their heads.

Shulk turned his attention back to Melia and tried to calm her down, but he suddenly tightened his grip around her and glared as Lilith approached Melia.

"Before you say anything to her, I want you to stop and choose your words very carefully." Shulk hissed.

Lilith took his precaution and paused for a moment, not out of intimidation, but sincerity for Melia. She could see how scared the empress was of losing her consort, and she felt a deep sense of sympathy and compassion for Melia after she brought up what happened to Kallian.

"I'd first like to apologize, your highness." Lilith started.

Melia gently broke out of Shulk's grip and wiped her eyes before facing Lilith.

"I-it's okay. I… I accept your apology." Melia said, her voice still breaking slightly.

"You have our word that the consort will be okay, empress. My research team and I have been in close contact with the medical staff and we've gone over every outcome imaginable. Any one of us will tell you that the chances of the consort transforming into a Telethia are practically zero, and we've made this as low-risk of a procedure as we possibly could. The Telethia gene will become inactive once it's in the consort's body due to his Homs ancestry, just like us High Entia of mixed heritage." Lilith assured her.

"See, Melia? Nothing bad is going to happen." Shulk said softly and took her hand.

"But, Shulk…" Melia said nervously.

Shulk gently pulled her closer and into another hug. He held Melia's hand up against his and her ring gave off a glimmer from the light.

"Just remember why I'm doing this if you ever start to feel scared. I want to be with you for as long as I can, Melia, and this operation is going to make that future we wanted together possible. I promised you that I would never leave your side and I'm not turning back on that, in fact, this operation will make it so I can _keep_ that promise." Shulk said.

"Shulk…" Melia's heart skipped a beat and she hugged him tighter as more tears fell down her cheek, but this time it was from relief and joy.

"I love you, Shulk." Melia said through her crying.

"I love you too, Melia, and I have something I want you to do for me." Shulk said.

"Anything." Melia replied.

Shulk lifted Melia's head up and wiped her tears. He gave her a smile as he gently placed his finger over her lips.

"I want to hear you say that again _after_ I come out of surgery. Can you do that for me, Angel?" Shulk asked.

Melia gazed into his eyes and her expression began to change, putting on a reassuring face as she gave him a nod.

"I will. I'll say it as many times as you want." Melia answered.

Even with everyone watching, Melia placed her hands behind Shulk's ears and pulled him into a deep kiss. Another nurse came into the room, but she remained silent until the two broke the kiss.

"Everything is ready." The nurse finally spoke.

The operating staff gathered around Shulk, checking his IV and unlocking the wheels to push his bed to the other room.

"You can walk with us up to the operating room doors if you'd like, empress." The nurse offered.

Melia nodded and kept her hand on the bed rails as they left the room.

Shulk reached over and placed his hand over Melia's as they walked through the halls, eventually coming to a stop in front of a set of doors.

"This is as far as we can take you, empress. We can give you two another moment if you'd like." Dr. Nagoya said.

The staff took a few steps back so her and Shulk could have some space.

Melia leaned down and her and Shulk held each other close in one last embrace.

"I love you, Shulk. Please be safe…" Melia whispered.

Shulk soothingly stroked her hair, "Of course I will. I love you too, Melia, and I'll see you in a bit, that's a promise."

The two reluctantly let each other go and Melia let the staff know she was ready. They wheeled Shulk into the operating room and he looked back as the doors opened, giving Melia a reassuring smile.

"Stay strong for me, Melia." Shulk softly called out to her.

Melia nodded and gave a smile back, but it quickly faded after the doors were shut.

The staff wheeled Shulk into the center of the room and a frown appeared on his face as they prepped for surgery.

"I'm sorry for how I acted back there, Lilith." Shulk said.

"Don't worry about it. I mean, what am I going to say back to you? You're technically my superior even though you work for me." Lilith joked.

Shulk laughed softly before his frown reappeared, "Still, that doesn't make it right…"

"I told you already, don't worry about it." Lilith assured him and came up to his bedside, "Even with everything that was going on, you were focused solely on protecting the empress, and I understand that's why you lashed out. I've heard about all the things that happened to her, that poor girl has been through so much in her life…"

"Yeah, she has…" Shulk added and let out a sigh, "I don't exactly know how to put this. I know the rest of our friends will be there for her, but even then… I'm all that she has left."

"I understand." Lilith said softly.

A nurse came over with a vial and syringe filled with anesthesia. Lilith nodded to the nurse then looked back down at Shulk while she administered it into his IV.

"Just close your eyes and try to relax. We'll get you back to her soon." Lilith said.

Shulk could only nod as his eyes grew heavy. Everything began to blur and he soon drifted to sleep as the medical staff finished their preparations.

Melia was still out in the hallway, sitting against the wall and close to the operating room doors.

"Shulk…" She softly mused.

Fiora came around the corner and seen Melia sitting there with an anxious look on her face. She came over and kneeled down by Melia, giving her a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for making you come look for me. It's just… I'm so worried about him." Melia said quietly.

Fiora rubbed and patted her back, "It's okay, Melia, we understand. Come on, they probably won't let you wait out here."

"But… I…" Melia began to whimper and looked panicked at the thought of being separated from Shulk.

Fiora smiled warmly and held out her hand, "We're not going anywhere without you, Melia. If you want to stay here, then we'll wait with you, but we'll have to do it in the other room."

Although she was reluctant at first, Melia took Fiora's hand and stood up, giving one more glance at the operating room doors before they turned the corner.

The two girls went back to the others and they all agreed to stay at the hospital with Melia. They all walked into the waiting lobby and also found Denise sitting there. She was notified about the operation and came to lend support, and everyone took seats in the lobby: With Denise and Dunban sitting next to each other and talking amongst themselves in the adjacent row, Reyn was close by and reading magazines to keep himself occupied, and Sharla and Fiora sat on either side of Melia, trying to keep her distracted while they waited for any news on Shulk.

"He'll be okay, Melia." Sharla soothed and laid her hand on Melia's lap.

"Yeah, Shulk's been through plenty worse than this. He'll pull through and be back on his feet in no time." Reyn overheard them talking and added on as he turned the page.

"You think so?" Melia asked quietly.

Reyn lifted his head from the magazine and showed Melia a reassuring grin, "I _know so_. I mean, look at me, do I seem even the least bit worried?"

The smallest hint of a smile started to form on the corners of Melia's lips, "Confident as always, Reyn. If you're that sure, then I'll follow your lead."

"Atta girl." Sharla said and patted Melia's lap.

Reyn's stomach started to growl and he stood up, "Speaking of following, how's about we all head down to the mess hall? I'm getting a bit hungry."

"Damnit, Reyn. Just when you were on to something too…" Sharla muttered.

"Yeah, but you can't help but admire that carefree attitude of his sometimes." Fiora chuckled, "Maybe he's right, though. We've been sitting here for a while and it's starting to get late, maybe we should consider getting some food."

"Well, at this rate, we might be staying the night here. Do you feel like you could eat, Melia?" Sharla asked.

Melia gave a small nod and they all went to the hospital's cafeteria for dinner. Although they tried urging her to, Melia wouldn't eat much and only picked at her food, feeling too worried about Shulk to keep anything down.

After passing some more time in the cafeteria and wandering around the recreational areas of the hospital, they all went back to the waiting lobby and walked up to a High Entia girl sitting at the front desk.

"How's Shulk doing?" Sharla asked.

"He's still in surgery, but he's doing just fine. They're giving me routinely updates on him, so I'll let you know about every little change in his condition the moment it happens." The girl answered with a warm smile.

"Hear that, Melia?" Sharla asked.

Sharla didn't hear anything back and looked around the lobby. She found that Melia wandered off and was standing by the waiting room window, frowning as she watched the sun setting.

Sharla came over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Melia?"

Melia faintly gasped and turned around the second she was broken out of her daze, but her frown reappeared as she realized it wasn't the person she was hoping for…

"Oh, I'm sorry." Melia said softly.

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Sharla said and gave her a reassuring smile, "They said that Shulk is doing fine, and they're constantly checking up on him."

Melia nodded and gave a smile in return, but it soon faded away.

Everyone else was still gathered around the front desk and the girl behind it noticed the sun setting.

"It's getting late." The girl spoke up, "The consort might not be out of surgery until late night or tomorrow morning. If you're all planning on staying the night here, I can have pillows and blankets brought out to you."

"Yes, please. Thank you." Fiora replied.

Everyone sat back down and a few staff members came out with pillows and warm blankets. They all made themselves as comfortable as they could for the night and Sharla looked over at Melia, checking up on her one last time before she went to bed.

"You'll be able to see him tomorrow, Melia. I know it'll be hard, but try and get some rest until then. Shulk wouldn't want to see you looking sleep deprived." Sharla said.

Melia only nodded and Sharla patted her lap.

"The quicker you fall asleep, the quicker it'll feel like time passes. Good night, Melia." Sharla said.

"Good night." Melia replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sharla gave her one more soft look before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

Later into the night, Melia looked around the lobby and noticed she was the only one still awake, except for Denise who got up and hasn't come back yet.

"Shulk…" Melia quietly whimpered.

All Melia wanted was to be alone ever since Shulk went into surgery, and she realized this was the closest her friends would allow her to get to that. She lowered her head and covered her face in her hand, trying to make as little noise as possible while she helplessly cried.

Denise appeared from around the hall and noticed Melia trembling, knowing full well she was crying even if she couldn't hear it or see her tears. She went down the hall again and came back with a box of tissues as she approached Melia.

"Here." Denise whispered and held out the box.

Melia took it and wiped her tears while Denise leaned down to give her a hug.

"It'll be okay, Melia. Shulk is going to be fine, I'm sure you know that." Denise whispered by her ear.

Melia didn't say anything back, only giving a small nod and muffling her crying in Denise's shoulder.

"There, there." Denise softly mused and rubbed Melia's back, "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Melia shook her head no and Denise held her close the entire time she cried, only letting go once she stopped.

Melia lifted her head from Denise's shoulder, "Thank you." She whispered, her voice still breaking.

"Of course, Melia. If you ever need anything else, even if I'm asleep, come get me, okay? I'll be over by Dunban." Denise replied.

Melia nodded and sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

"Only a few more hours left to go, Melia. It's already early morning." Denise said.

Melia only nodded and Denise gave her a warm, reassuring smile before going back to her seat.

A short time had passed and Denise soon went to sleep, leaving only Melia once more. She didn't feel like she could stay awake for much longer, though, it was becoming harder to keep her eyes opened and she felt drained from her crying.

"Shulk…" Melia mused before closing her eyes. Her head fell on Sharla's shoulder and she finally went to sleep.

Light soon shined in through the window of the waiting lobby and it made Melia start to stir. She lifted her head up and groggily stretched as she looked around, noticing that it was morning and everyone else was awake and moving around the lobby.

Sharla seen Melia waking up and came over with a cup of coffee, smiling warmly as she held it in front of her, "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Good morning." Melia answered as she took it from her.

Sharla sat down next to Melia and took a sip from her own cup, "We've only been up for a short while before you. They said they're going to give us the news about Shulk's operation really soon."

Melia started to perk up slightly and nodded before taking a drink.

Denise came over and sat in the other open seat next to Melia, giving her a big hug.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Denise asked.

Melia's eyes softened, "Only a little."

"It's better than none at all." Denise assured her and let go.

About an hour had passed and another man came into the lobby from the staff doors. It took everyone a second to recognize who he was since he was changed into scrubs and had on a surgeon's mask with gloves, but they could see the resemblance to Zane and figured it was his brother.

They all gathered around and were sure that it was Caine, but he wouldn't say anything and kept his stare at the ground.

"What happened? How's Shulk?" Sharla asked.

No answer, nor would he lift his head.

Everyone's eyes filled with panic with each passing second of Caine's silence, but Reyn was starting to grow impatient with him and glared.

"You better say something, bud." Reyn growled.

Caine's shoulders began to shake and they could hear him making a faint noise… almost like he was cackling. His laughing grew louder and he took off the surgeon's mask, throwing his head triumphantly up to the sky.

"We did it! The operation was a complete success!" Caine exclaimed.

Everyone's hearts started pounding in relief and the other girls crowded around Melia, giving her a big group hug.

Reyn kept his glare on Caine, hiding his relief underneath it, "You could've said that to begin with instead of making it all dramatic!"

"Do you have any idea as to what this means?! We're one step closer to being able to literally alter the building blocks of life! Who else knows what we could find with this new data?! The possibilities are endless!" Caine said, going on a tangent and not seeming to pay any attention to Reyn.

Zane walked up and took off his gloves as he came over, smacking Caine upside the head and breaking him off his ranting.

"My apologies, my brother can be a bit… infatuated with his work. I take it from the looks on your faces that he already gave you the news, or at least in his own way." Zane said.

Dr. Nagoya then came through the staff doors and everyone gathered around him.

"Yeah, we could hear it from back there." Dr. Nagoya commented, "I'll give you all a bit more information, but do you mind if we step outside first?"

The group nodded and followed Dr. Nagoya outside. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket once they were a short distance from the hospital.

"You all don't mind, do you?" Dr. Nagoya asked.

"No, it's okay." Melia replied.

"Thank you." Dr. Nagoya said and lit his cigarette, "I apologize for making this look unprofessional, especially in front of you, empress, but I just feel like I really need one of these right now. It was a bit of a stressful procedure, not made any easier knowing this has never been done before, and on a member of the royal family of all people."

"Don't sweat it. I bet dumb and dumber back there didn't make it any easier on you either." Reyn joked, referring to Zane and Caine.

"Believe me, I deal with people like that on an almost daily basis." Dr. Nagoya chuckled, "It's honestly a bit ironic with how opposite those two are, Zane being more of a people-person while Caine is the more work-oriented. Those two are definitely eccentric, but good kids nonetheless, and they play off each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Dr. Nagoya took another puff before he continued, "Like those two said, Shulk is doing just fine. The operation was successful and he's in stable condition."

"So, what does this mean for Shulk now that the operation is over?" Sharla asked.

"You'd have to talk to those brothers again if you want to know every little detail, but from what I can tell you, this means that Shulk is essentially half High Entia now." Dr. Nagoya said and took another puff, "Honestly, the only difference between us and him now is that he had it synthetically engineered. In every other way, he's identical to us and shares the same traits that we do, including the longer lifespan like he wanted."

"Is… is Shulk allowed to have visitors?" Melia asked hesitantly.

"You can all see him, but I'm afraid it won't be in the way you were hoping for." Dr. Nagoya replied.

"What do you mean?" Melia asked.

"Like I mentioned earlier, Shulk is in stable condition, but given the nature of this operation and the fact that he's royalty, we've taken some extra steps to ensure he'll be okay before discharging him. We're putting him in isolation for a minimum of twenty-four hours and he's being monitored routinely while he rests, both via machines and by my staff. You'll only be able to see Shulk through a window from a small room connected to it, and I can't guarantee you that he'll be awake. He's coming off the anesthesia right now, but his body was put under a lot of stress and he may be unconscious for a while. Our estimates suggest it could be approximately one week before he regains consciousness." Dr. Nagoya explained.

Melia's heart sunk and she looked down at the ground.

Sharla came up and wrapped her arm around Melia's shoulder, "Hey, the most important thing is that he's okay, right?"

Melia only nodded in response.

"Your friend is right, empress. Shulk is okay, he just needs to rest." Dr. Nagoya repeated, "When he wakes up, we'll see what we can do about discharging and leaving him in your care. Was there anything else any of you wanted to know?"

Everyone shook their heads as Dr. Nagoya finished his cigarette.

"Alright, let's go find our two favorite brothers and I'll take you all to Shulk's room. They'll be able to answer any other questions you might have when you see him." Dr. Nagoya said.

Everyone followed behind the doctor and they found Zane and Caine still in the waiting lobby.

"My little brother has something he'd like to say before we go." Zane said.

Caine stepped forward and bowed in front of Melia, "I apologize if I caused you to worry."

"You're forgiven. I just wanted to know if Shulk was okay, there's no more issue now that we've been told." Melia replied.

"Thank you, empress. I can assure you that it won't happen again." Caine said.

"You're right on that, because I'll be here to lob you upside the head again if you do." Zane smirked. He locked his arm around Caine's neck and dragged his knuckle over his head.

For the first time today, Melia put on a genuine smile and chuckled softly, "You two remind me of Shulk and Reyn."

"Um, I'm still here…" Reyn pointed out.

Sharla laughed and took Reyn's hand, "She's got a point though, Reyn. Even I can see the resemblance in these two."

"I don't know them well enough to know if that's a compliment, but I'll take it as one." Zane replied, smiling back at Melia and Sharla as he let go of his brother.

They all walked to Shulk's room in one group: Melia and Dr. Nagoya in the front, the brothers in the back, and everyone else in between them.

After walking through a few more hallways, a group of Imperial Guards came into view that were stationed around a door with an isolation sign painted on it. They all cleared the doorway and stood at attention as the group went inside.

Dr. Nagoya turned on the lights, illuminating a small office space with monitoring equipment, but most notably a wall on one side that was completely glass.

Everyone walked over to the glass wall and Melia's heart broke at the sight. The doctor did mention that Shulk would be hooked up to machines, but the design to them and how many there were made it look far worse than what it really was.

"They're just to monitor him, empress, none of them are vital to his life. Shulk is perfectly fine, he'll be off most of those machines and out of this room in about twenty-four hours." Dr. Nagoya said softly, knowing that Melia would fear for the worst once she saw him.

Melia frowned and nodded back, but only because she felt a knot forming in her throat that made it hard to reply.

"You know, Shulk talked about you before we gave him the anesthesia, and even _after_ we gave it to him while we waited for him to finally fall asleep." Dr. Nagoya chuckled.

"He did?" Melia asked.

"Yep. He was more concerned about _you_ than he was for himself. I'm sure he wants to see you just as badly as you do right now." Dr. Nagoya assured her.

Melia gave a soft smile in return and looked back into the glass.

Reyn raised an eyebrow and moved his head around, trying to get a better view of Shulk from all angles.

"What gives, Doc? I thought you said Shulk was the same as you guys now, so where's his wings?" Reyn asked.

Sharla and Dunban gawked at him, others facepalmed, and Melia was too focused on Shulk to notice anything else.

"Did you expect them to just instantly sprout out of his head or something?" Dunban asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I mean… I don't know…" Reyn said defensively.

Zane came up to the group, "Actually, we were wondering about that ourselves. It won't be immediate, but we _do_ believe he'll grow head wings. We can't estimate the size or shape of them, however; They might be longer and aimed downward like pure-blooded High Entia, or they could be smaller and off to the side like us that are half High Entia."

"Not only that." Caine jumped in, "The consort also has better ether prowess now. He can control ether much more fluidly when channeling it and can even sense other people's ether like we can."

"Hear that, Melia? For all that we know, Shulk can probably sense that we're here right now." Sharla commented.

Sharla didn't hear anything back and looked over, seeing that Melia was still staring into the glass with a heavy frown on her face.

"Shulk…" Melia placed her hand on the glass, just wishing that she could be next to him. Her ring softly gleamed and she started sniffling as she tried not to cry again.

Sharla came over and held Melia close, "What's the matter? Shulk's right there, don't you see him? The doctor told you he's going to be okay."

Melia nodded and tried to keep it together as she hugged Sharla tighter.

"Can… can I have some time alone with him, please?" Melia quietly asked.

"Of course, princess. Anything you want." Sharla replied.

The two girls broke apart and everyone cleared the room for Melia, leaving just her in there with Shulk on the other side.

Fiora frowned after they closed the door behind them, "Poor Melia, it's like she's a completely different person without Shulk around."

"I noticed that too, she just wants to be by herself more and will barely talk." Sharla added, "Even though Melia wants to isolate herself, I don't think we should let her."

"I agree. We should all stay here and give Melia our support while we wait for Shulk to wake up." Fiora replied.

The rest of the group nodded and looked back over to Sharla.

"Alright, then it's settled. We'll all stay here and spend some time with Melia, with one person being responsible for her each day then we'll rotate." Sharla said.

Before going back in the room, everyone agreed on what days they would be keeping Melia company throughout the week.

Four days later into Shulk's recovery and it was Reyn's turn to be with Melia. He went to her Villa and could physically see how badly this wait was starting to affect her; With her energy being considerably lower, and tasks that would normally be effortless were starting to be a strain on her. It hurt him to see someone as strong as Melia like this, so he took her to the hospital and let her have some more time with Shulk.

Dr. Nagoya deemed it safe for Shulk to be in contact with others after his isolation period and had him moved to a new room where people could properly visit him.

Reyn stayed out in the hall while Melia went into Shulk's room. She let out a sigh of relief after the door closed, feeling grateful to see Shulk longer and that Reyn actually understood.

Melia pulled a chair closer and sat down, resting her arms on Shulk's bed while she held his hand. He was hooked up to only basic monitoring equipment now, and the only thing left to do was wait for him to wake up.

"Boo, how much longer am I going to have to wait? How much longer until I can see you open your eyes? I miss you so much, Shulk; That smile, having you there with me every night, even that innocent and oblivious attitude of yours… I miss all of it. I just want you out of this hospital and back home with me…" Melia's lip started to quiver and it became increasingly harder to say anything more.

Melia leaned down and hid her face near Shulk's thigh, but just before she felt like she was going to cry, she felt something frail moving against her hand. She gasped and lifted her head, seeing Shulk's arm weakly flinch as he tried to squeeze back against her hand.

"M… l… ia…" Shulk faintly whispered. His eyes were still closed and he weakly squirmed as he tried to move his head.

Melia's heart started to flutter and she jumped herself up. She squeezed his hand back and came closer to him.

"Shulk? I'm right here, what's wrong? Can you hear me? Shulk… Shulk?!" Melia grew more anxious by the second as she waited to see if Shulk was waking up, but he wouldn't say anything back and kept trying to move his head.

Reyn heard Melia raising her voice and rushed into the room, "Melia, what's the problem? What's with all the yelling?"

"It's Shulk, he just tried to say something!" Melia replied urgently.

Reyn's eyes grew wide as he seen Shulk weakly squirming. He came over and shook him as he gripped his shoulders, "Shulk, you waking up? Come on, man, say something!"

"…Ngh …loud…" Shulk groaned and threw his head in the other direction.

Reyn's eyes softened and he let go of Shulk, "Oh, I see what it is now."

"What? Reyn, tell me, is Shulk going to be okay?" Melia asked anxiously.

"Relax, princess, he's fine. Shulk's just talking in his sleep like he usually does." Reyn answered.

"…In his sleep?" Melia frowned and looked downward.

Reyn could see the hurt look on Melia's face, knowing she must have been upset that Shulk wasn't really waking up.

"Hey, it's not all bad. You want to know something interesting about all this?" Reyn asked, trying to steer her attention away from it.

"What's that?" Melia asked, only trying to be polite and not ignore him.

"Check this out." Reyn said and turned back to Shulk, "Yo, Shulk, I never got the chance to apologize to you yet, did I? I'm sorry for how I acted and for what I said before you went into surgery, _I_ was the one in the wrong."

"It's… okay…" Shulk exhaustedly muttered back.

Reyn turned back to Melia and grinned, seeing the shocked look on her face and her wings perking up.

"Pretty cool, ain't it?" Reyn asked.

"I've known that Shulk talked in his sleep, but he sounded like he understood you and even replied… Shulk can hear us right now?" Melia gawked.

"Shulk's been able to talk with people in his sleep for years now. I found this out when we were kids; We were staying up late one night and just talking to each other, and when I looked over at him, his eyes were shut and he was still talking like normal. I didn't even realize it, but I was talking to him in his sleep for like the past hour that night. So yeah, he can hear us right now, but it's a little weird on how it works. I've purposely talked to him a few more times in his sleep and I think I can piece together a few things, though." Reyn explained.

Melia started to smirk, "I can't tell which is more strange, Shulk's sleep-talking or how knowledgeable you sound about this." She teased.

"Be nice, Melia." Shulk said. He sounded much easier to understand this time and turned his head to the other side.

"Yeah, you tell her, Shulk." Reyn laughed and crossed his arms.

Melia nervously blushed, "You said there were other things you noticed about Shulk, what were they?"

"You know how there's different stages of sleep? Well, Shulk's talking changes depending on what stage he's in. In some stages, he's much easier to understand and pauses less when he talks. In other stages, he'll either pause more, say some weird stuff, or won't even talk back at all." Reyn said.

"Shulk was talking perfectly fine the last time he spoke, as if he were actually awake, what stage would that mean he's in?" Melia asked curiously.

"Well, that's something I haven't figured out yet. I know his talking changes depending on the sleep stage, but I have no clue on how to tell them apart." Reyn answered.

"I see. That's okay, Reyn, all of this was still helpful." Melia assured him, "Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

"Well… here's where things get a bit negative." Reyn started, "Shulk can understand us right now and talk back, but he doesn't remember anything he said when he wakes up."

"I see…" Melia frowned.

"Hey, don't look so gloomy about it. Shulk might not be able to remember what he says, but he'll still talk to you the same way he would if he was awake. He was talking just fine a minute ago, you might still be able to say a few things to him before his next sleep cycle." Reyn assured her.

Melia's frown faded away, a reassuring smile taking its place as she nodded to Reyn.

"Go ahead and give it a whirl. I'll be outside, come get me whenever you're ready." Reyn said and walked out.

Melia wasn't sure why, but she started blushing again and felt more nervous the closer she got to Shulk.

"Shulk, can you still hear me?" Melia asked hesitantly.

Shulk didn't reply, only centering his head and softly snoring away.

"You… you haven't forgotten our promise, have you? You'll still be by my side, right?" Melia asked nervously.

"Of course I will… I promised you… that I would." Shulk answered.

Melia beamed and wrapped her arms around Shulk for a tight hug.

"I'll be waiting until then." Melia mused, "I have to go, Shulk, but I'll come visit you again soon, okay?"

Melia fixed Shulk's pillows and gently laid him back down. She blushed slightly and played with his hair, turning redder as she noticed she was using her ring hand.

"Sweet dreams, Boo." Melia cooed.

"Only if you're in them." Shulk said back.

Melia giggled at his answer, "Are you saying you dream about me, Shulk?~"

"All the time." Shulk replied. His voice began to sound softer and drowsier, like he might be going into his next sleep stage soon.

Melia's heart skipped a beat and her wings started fluttering.

"Here, maybe this will help~" Melia leaned down and gently kissed his forehead before going to the door.

"I'll see you again soon, Shulk." Melia said.

"Mel… ia…" Shulk quietly called out.

Melia's ears perked up, hearing him trying to say something before she left the room.

"What is it, Shulk?" She asked.

"I… lo… y… u…" Shulk mumbled.

Melia could understand what he was trying to say and smiled warmly, "I love you too, Shulk."

Melia stepped out of the room and found Reyn slouching against the wall.

"How'd it go?" Reyn asked.

"I was able to say a few things to him before his speech became muddled." Melia replied.

"Good to hear, and you can always try again later the next time you see him. Were you ready to go?" Reyn asked.

Melia nodded and the two left the hospital.

* * *

Although it was relieving to still be able to talk to Shulk, Melia slowly sunk back to feeling worried and depressed as time went on. It was now seven days into his recovery and Shulk still hasn't woken up.

Melia was lazing around the Villa while she waited for Fiora to come by. It was her turn to be with Melia for the day, but it was past the time that she said she would be there. Melia didn't mind and assumed she was just running late, and all she wanted to do anyways was stay at home or visit Shulk.

Melia tried to keep herself distracted by doing some things around the house, but regardless of how much time passed, Fiora was still nowhere to be seen. It also became harder to stay focused on anything as she grew more anxious about wanting to see Shulk.

Melia reluctantly sighed, "I'm sorry, Fiora…"

Melia had to summon enough effort to throw herself together and get ready to go the hospital by herself. She packed her lunch in a paper bag and left the Villa, and although she felt guilty for leaving Fiora to come find her, her anxiousness got the better of her and she couldn't wait any longer to visit Shulk.

All the hospital staff that walked past her could see how drained Melia looked. They would stop and give her a warm smile as their paths crossed, but Melia was so deep in her own mind that she barely noticed them and subconsciously kept walking towards Shulk's room.

 _Shulk, it's been a week, the doctor said you should be awake by now… I'm trying, Shulk, I'm really trying to be strong, but… I can only keep that up for so long without having you to fall back on. All I want… is to be in your arms and see you open your eyes again._

Melia walked up to Shulk's door and paused for a brief moment as she clenched the knob. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and convince herself that everything would be okay before triggering a stress-induced breakdown.

After a few moments of silence, Melia tried her best to hide her worried look and slowly creaked open the door.

"Hey, Angel!"

The expression Melia was trying to hide behind was blown away and her wings stood up as that voice rang through her ears. She felt paralyzed and gasped in disbelief as she seen her fiancé sitting up, smiling warmly at her as those blue eyes she'd hoped to see gazed back into hers.

"Shulk…" Melia regained the feeling like she could move again and ran over, throwing her arms tightly around him as she came up to his bedside, "You're awake! How long have you been up? Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to get a nurse for you?"

"Whoa, Melia, slow down." Shulk laughed and returned the hug.

Melia lifted her head and her shock began to wear off as she looked up at him. Her breathing sounded shaky and her eyes turned red as she pulled him into another hug.

"I've been so worried about you, Shulk… I missed you so much." Melia whimpered right before she broke down crying by his collar bone.

Shulk cradled Melia in his arms and started to smile warmly as he rubbed her back.

"I missed you too, Melia. It's okay, I'm here now. Just let it out." Shulk said softly by her ear.

Shulk did everything he could to calm her down and Melia stopped crying after a few minutes, but she was still shaky and kept her arms tightly around him.

Shulk gently cupped Melia's chin and lifted her head up. Their gaze met and his eyes softened as he leaned closer, pressing his lips to hers and giving her a tender kiss.

Melia's eyes widened for a moment and her heart started fluttering. The touch from his lips was so soft and gentle, and it made her worries melt away as she sunk into it and returned the kiss.

Shulk broke the kiss and pulled Melia closer, soothingly stroking her hair while he held her in a warm embrace.

"Feeling better now, Angel?" Shulk asked.

"Mhm~" Melia mused. Her wings started lightly flapping and she nuzzled closer to him.

Shulk smiled and gently broke out of the hug. He patted his hand on the bed, "Come here, Angel. You can sit next to me if you want."

Shulk was still a bit frail and slowly moved over for Melia. She climbed into his bed and curled up next to him, smiling as she put her hand up to his cheek and felt a thick trail of facial hair.

Shulk chuckled as Melia brushed through his newly-formed beard, "Noticed that too, huh? How does it look?"

"It's just strange seeing you with a beard. I'm not exactly used to it." Melia replied.

"I mean, I've been asleep for about a week now, I couldn't exactly do anything about it. I'm more surprised with how scruffy it's gotten in such a short time." Shulk joked, "At least, that's how long the nurses told me I've been asleep for. I might get rid of it whenever they let me leave, though."

"They told you how long you've been asleep for? They know you're awake?" Melia asked.

"Of course they do. Who do you think brought me this food tray?" Shulk asked and pointed to the nightstand on his side.

Shulk reached for his food and set it in his lap, "You can have some of mine if you want."

"That's okay, Shulk, I brought my own." Melia replied and held up the bag she brought with her.

"Oh, did you? What'cha got?" Shulk smirked and stuck his head in the bag.

"It's just something I made before coming here." Melia answered.

Shulk stopped rummaging through the bag and gawked as he looked up at Melia, "Did I hear what I think I did? _You're_ the one who made this?"

"Yes, I did." Melia answered, starting to sound nervous from Shulk's surprise, "Our friends are still here in Alcamoth and I've been spending some time with them while I waited for you to recover. Fiora knows I'm not much of a cook, but she was insistent that I help her with practically everything she made. We had some leftover ingredients from when we cooked dinner for everyone, so I piled them all together and found a recipe for a stir fry I could make with them."

"So did you make this by yourself or did Fiora help you?" Shulk asked curiously.

"I made it myself." Melia replied and nervously ran her hand through her hair, "It's probably a good thing Fiora wasn't around when I did, she might have gotten mad at me for following instructions out of a cookbook."

"I'd believe it. Fiora tried teaching me how to cook a long time ago too and she wouldn't even let me use measuring cups, told me just to free-fall everything." Shulk chuckled.

Shulk looked back at the bag, "Mind if I try some of it?"

"I mean… if you want to. It might not be as good as anything Fiora can make, though…" Melia said.

"That doesn't matter, I'm more interested in the fact that you made this yourself." Shulk assured her, "Besides, I've already been a test rat for genetic research, being a test rat again for food doesn't sound like much of a stretch." He jokingly added.

"Okay, if you're sure…" Melia replied nervously.

Melia opened the bag and pulled out a plastic container, but she could feel it getting cold as it rested in her hands.

"Hang on, let me warm it up for you." Melia said.

Melia opened her palm and summoned a small fire elemental. She lowered it into the container and slowly guided it around, trying to heat everything evenly.

Shulk licked his lips as the smell filled the room, "Give me a big scoop of meat with it!"

"I'll see what I can do for you, Shulk." Melia giggled.

Melia dispersed the elemental and spun a piece of her food around her fork. She blew on it and brought it closer to Shulk, blushing a little as she fed him.

Just to tease her a little, Shulk started making overly-dramatic and critiquing faces as he tasted it.

"Well? How is it?" Melia asked anxiously.

Shulk finally dropped the act and swallowed it down, looking pleasantly surprised, "Actually, it's not bad, Melia!"

Melia blushed more and shyly looked down, "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"No, it's actually pretty good! Mind if I get another bite?" Shulk asked.

Melia picked up another serving and brought it to Shulk's lips, smiling warmly as she fed it to him.

"I'm impressed, Melia, you're definitely learning from her!" Shulk praised, "The only complaint I got so far is that you gave me nothing but veggies with that second bite."

"Do you always have to be picky when you're sick?" Melia teased.

"Hey, I'm in the hospital, for crying out loud. I think I can get a pass for being picky." Shulk joked.

Melia smiled and nuzzled against him, "You may be a baby sometimes, but you're _my_ baby~"

Shulk turned bright red and felt his heart skip a beat as he hugged her.

Melia reached up and was about to kiss him, but she suddenly stopped and laughed.

"Hang on, you got some of it in your beard." She giggled and wiped it away.

"I told you that I'd get rid of it once they discharge me, whenever that is." Shulk said.

"We can ask about that later. I'm just glad to see that you're finally awake, Boo." Melia smiled.

They shared a tender kiss and Melia sat closer to him as they went back to their food.

Shulk pushed his tray slightly over to Melia's side, "I took some of yours, so you can have a bit of mine too."

"No, that's okay, Shulk." Melia said and took a bite of her stir fry.

Melia suddenly stopped eating, "Oh, wait, you were actually tested on for _three_ things."

"I was?" Shulk asked, looking confused.

"Shulk, did you know that you talk in your sleep?" Melia started.

Shulk seemed nervous and turned a little red, "Yeah, I knew about that… I didn't say anything weird, did I?"

Melia giggled, "No, Boo. Although, you did admit that you dream about me pretty often~"

Shulk turned a brighter red and looked away while Melia teasingly pinched his cheek.

"I mean… I would've told you that even if I was awake." Shulk murmured.

Melia started to blush and her wings fluttered as she hugged him, "Aww~ That's so cute!~"

Melia turned his head back over and kissed him. She stayed close to Shulk as they finished their food and cleared everything off the bed.

"Oh, there's actually one more thing I needed to tell you." Melia spoke up.

"Haven't you embarrassed me enough?" Shulk joked.

"This isn't like that, Shulk." Melia smiled.

Melia sat in front of Shulk and rested her hand on his chest. They both began to blush and Melia could feel his heart beating faster as she came closer, and it started to flutter as their lips pressed together and they shared a passionate kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and sparkles glimmered in her eyes as she gazed into Shulk's and caressed his cheek.

"I love you, Shulk." Melia mused.

Shulk paused for a second, then his eyes grew wide as it finally clicked, "You remembered…"

"Of course I did. And I'll say it as many times as you want, just like I promised I would." Melia smiled.

Shulk smiled along and pulled Melia into a tight embrace, "Could you say it one more time?"

Melia gently kissed his cheek and moved closer to his ear, "I love you, Shulk~"

"I love you too, Melia~" Shulk said back.

Their hearts began to flutter, neither of them wanting to leave their partner's warm embrace.

"Melia, could you do one more thing for me?" Shulk asked.

"Anything, Boo." She answered.

Shulk let Melia go and pointed to the nightstand on her side of the bed, "They put my stuff in a bag and left it in the top drawer. Open it up and take that bag out."

Melia nodded and reached over, placing the bag in her lap after she got it out.

"Was there something in here you wanted, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Sort of. Open it up and look around." Shulk replied.

Melia looked a little confused but nodded and reached inside.

"You never said what it was in particular that you wanted out of-" Melia paused as her hand brushed against something in his bag that seemed out of place.

Shulk started to smile, "Sounds like you found it. Take it out and see for yourself."

Melia slowly drew her arm from the bag and pulled out a small black box, similar to the one Shulk had in Makna Forest. She opened it and inside was a platinum ring with a matte brushed finish, and a single row of blue crystals that went vertically along the band.

"Shulk, is this…" Melia asked.

"It's my half of the engagement rings. I wanted you to help me put it on." Shulk answered and held out his hand.

Melia's heart began to race and she blushed as she took Shulk's hand, gently sliding the ring over his finger.

Shulk turned his wrist and smiled as he looked at the ring, but he didn't get long to admire it before Melia dived closer and gave him a tight hug.

"I love you, Shulk. I love you so much." Melia said.

"I love you too, Melia, more than anything." Shulk said back and returned the hug.

The two locked eyes and Melia held their palms against each other's as they shared a soft, passionate kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and fixed her position, laying curled up on her side and resting her head on Shulk's chest.

"You don't mind if I lay here, do you Shulk? It doesn't hurt you or anything?" Melia asked.

Shulk looked down at her with a smile and stroked her hair, "You don't have to ask, Angel. You're not hurting me, and you can lay there for as long as you want."

Melia reached up and gave Shulk another kiss before laying back down on his chest, listening to the soothing sounds of his heartbeat as she drifted to sleep.

Shulk began to frown as he cradled Melia in his arms, "My poor Angel. You haven't been getting any good sleep because of me, have you?"

Shulk stayed up for as long as he could to keep Melia soothed while she slept. Just before his eyes closed, the door to his room opened and he seen Fiora looking panicked as she hurried in.

"Melia, are you in-" Fiora suddenly froze, both from the sight of Shulk being awake and seeing Melia laying in his bed.

One of Melia's ears were already blocked from the way she was laying on his chest, but Shulk covered the other one with his hand and put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. Don't wake her, she just went to sleep." Shulk said quietly.

"Oh, sorry." Fiora whispered.

Fiora came over and sat in one of the chairs by his bedside, "I've been looking everywhere for her, I was running late and got worried when I found she wasn't home. I should've figured this would be the first place she'd go."

Shulk stroked Melia's hair while she slept through their talking, "Melia told me that you and the others have been keeping her company while you waited for me to recover. Thank you, Fiora, it means a lot to me."

"She's our friend, Shulk, we weren't going to just leave her like that and all alone." Fiora assured him.

Fiora noticed a glimmer coming from Shulk's hand as it moved through Melia's hair. She followed the glimmer and seen a ring, one that looked similar to Melia's.

"They're beautiful. The rings, I mean." Fiora commented.

Shulk held up his hand for her to see, "It's the only thing I've done right lately. I've been so busy over the past week making sure this operation would go smoothly, and I didn't realize I was making her feel ignored because of it. We even got into a fight before you guys came over…"

"Things like that can happen, Shulk. Relationships can't always be perfect, and even the closest couples can argue at times. If anything, it's more of a surprise how you two went this long _without_ fighting." Fiora assured him.

Shulk only gave a short laugh before his smile left and he looked back down at Melia.

"Stop it, Shulk, I can tell when you're overthinking things." Fiora commented, "You know she still cares about you, maybe even more than you realize."

"What do you mean by that?" Shulk asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you this is actually the second time we've caught her sleeping in here?" Fiora replied.

"Second? When was the first?" Shulk asked curiously.

"Well, more specifically, Dunban caught her the first time. It was two days ago and he was going to be spending the day with Melia, only to find her in here, fast asleep and laying next to you like she is now. We've been giving her some time to come visit you, and I guess she was here for so long that she climbed into your bed and spent the night here." Fiora explained, but started to softly laugh right after, "Well, that and apparently you were talking in your sleep again. From what Melia told Dunban, _you're_ actually the one who offered her to stay the night."

Shulk felt a warmth in his chest and gave a smile reflecting it as he looked back down at Melia.

Fiora's eyes softened, "Whatever you two were arguing over is none of my business, but it doesn't matter anymore, Shulk. You know she still loves you. She's been worried sick about you too, to the point where she hasn't been eating or sleeping well lately, so I'm not going to wake her up. She needs the rest, and there's no need for us to keep her occupied now that you're awake, so I'll leave her here with you."

Fiora stood up and went to leave, but she stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder, "Congratulations, by the way, both on the engagement and your operation. You'll live longer now because of it, and I wish you two the happiest in that added time."

"Thank you. You know, the operation is available for the rest of you too, if you're willing to take it." Shulk offered.

"After the scare we had with you doing it, we might need some time to warm up to that idea." Fiora softly chuckled.

"Well, take your time and think it over. The option's ready for you guys whenever you want." Shulk replied.

Shulk caught a glimpse of a frown on Fiora's face before she looked back ahead.

"Fiora… are you okay?" Shulk asked softly.

"I am now that I see you're awake." Fiora replied.

 _You know that isn't what I meant, Fiora…_

Shulk didn't want to push her to talk about it and reluctantly nodded.

"Always worrying about others before yourself, it's nice to see that hasn't changed." Fiora softly laughed, "I'm fine, Shulk. You should be focusing on getting better, if not for your own, then for Melia's sake. Get some rest, I'll let the others know you're awake and we'll stay here for a few more days if it's all right with you."

"Of course you can. I don't think Melia would mind either, but we can sort all that out later." Shulk said.

Fiora gave a soft smile and left the room, and Shulk's attention turned back to his sleeping fiancée after she was gone.

"Shulk…" Melia mused in her sleep, reaching her hand up to his shoulder.

Shulk's smile started to come back and he held his hand over hers.

"Even when you're asleep, you always know when something's bothering me, don't you Angel? And just like how you can always tell, you always know how to make me feel better." Shulk said soothingly and placed their hands together over his heart, "I'm probably just overthinking things again like always. I know you won't let our engagement get between the two of you."

Shulk lifted Melia's hand and kissed her ring. She started to stir and mumbled softly in her sleep, but she didn't wake up as he placed her hand back down.

Shulk quietly laughed after Melia stopped moving in her sleep, "I guess we _both_ need some rest, don't we?"

Shulk slowly laid on his back, trying to get comfortable without waking Melia up. He looked down at her one more time and started to blush as he nested her under his arm.

"Good night, Melia." Shulk mused as his eyes began to close.


	15. Time to Sheyn

Melia's eyes slowly opened and the first thing she seen was a clock hanging from the wall that read nine in the morning. She still felt a bit sluggish and looked around the room, trying to regain her bearings while she waited to fully wake up. She found that an arm was wrapped over her shoulder and she looked up, seeing Shulk fast asleep and that she was still in his hospital bed.

Melia tried not to wake him and slowly sat up, but she couldn't bring herself to stop smiling as she glanced back at Shulk.

 _It… it wasn't all just a dream. Shulk was actually awake…_

Melia could feel a warmth rising in her chest and her wings began to flutter as reality sunk back in. Everything she wanted had come true, and the one person she'd hoped to have back at her side was there once more, peacefully drifting deeper into his sleep.

Melia leaned down and kissed Shulk's forehead, but the very second she started to sit back up, his arms latched around her and he pulled her into a tight hug.

Shulk's eyes opened and he put on a smirk, "Hey, you~ Were you going somewhere?~"

"Hey, Boo~ Good morning~" Melia said back and softly laughed. She nuzzled closer to Shulk, not even trying to fight back against his hold on her, "I was thinking of going to the Villa to freshen up and come back, but I can stay if you didn't want me to leave."

"No, that's okay, Melia." Shulk said and let her out of his grip, "Go do whatever you need to do."

"Are you sure?" Melia asked hesitantly.

Shulk smiled over Melia's protectiveness and took her hand, "I'm sure, Angel. I'll be all right until you get back."

Melia nodded and leaned into him for a hug, "I'll come right back when I'm done, okay?" She said softly.

"You don't have to worry so much about me, Angel." Shulk replied and returned the hug, "Everything is fine now, and I was probably just going to nap while I waited."

Melia lifted her head from Shulk's shoulder and gave him a smile, "Okay, Boo."

They shared a soft kiss before Melia got off his bed. She stopped at the door and turned around, giving him another small smile.

"I shouldn't be gone for too long, Shulk. I love you~" Melia said.

"I love you too, Melia. Take as long as you want, you're not in any rush." Shulk said back.

Melia then left Shulk's room and she heard a stomping sound coming from her side. She turned in the noise's direction, seeing the captain standing idly at attention.

"Empress." The captain greeted and saluted.

"Oh, hello. Why are you here, captain?" Melia asked.

"I was given the news that Shulk is awake now, and I was requested to stand guard for the next shift change." The captain explained.

"You've already heard about his surgery?" Melia asked with a small sense of surprise in her tone.

Melia took another glance up and down at the captain. She understood that it was part of his job, but she had grown so accustomed to seeing him laid back that it felt strange to talk to him while he was acting so uptight.

"At ease, captain." Melia jokingly said with a smile.

The captain gave a relieved sigh as he relaxed his stance, "Yeah, I knew about it already. I mean, everyone in the capital should know about Shulk by now. The news about him spread around pretty quickly."

The captain looked down at Melia's hand and started to grin, "I don't know if the public knows about _that_ yet, however."

Melia looked puzzled and raised an eyebrow.

 _What is he talking about?_

Melia quietly gasped as it suddenly clicked, he was talking about her ring.

The captain chuckled, "Did it seriously take you a minute to catch on to that? I guess that's understandable, though. You two have been acting like a married couple even before he proposed."

Melia warmly smiled and held out her hand for the captain to see her ring.

"If our engagement isn't well known yet, how did you find out about it?" Melia asked.

"Shulk told me beforehand." The captain replied as he inspected the ring, "I wouldn't be surprised if he told the rest of your friends about it too."

"Oh, that reminds me." Melia spoke up, "Could you find the others and have them meet me at the Villa in about an hour?"

"Of course. I don't have much longer until the next shift change, so I'll go look for them once I can leave." The captain said.

Melia nodded, "Okay. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Did you want an escort back home? I can have that arranged." The captain offered.

"No, that's all right. I'll make my own way home, and I was going to be coming back here shortly." Melia replied.

"Alright then. Well, if I don't see you by the time you get back, enjoy the rest of your day, _Mrs._ Antiqua." The captain teased.

Melia turned so flustered from his comment that she couldn't even say anything back. She nodded and took her leave, blushing helplessly and staring off into space during her walk back home.

 _Mrs. Antiqua… being Shulk's wife-to-be… I still can't believe this is all real._

Melia stopped for a moment and smiled brightly as she looked up to the sky, "You'll all soon have an in-law joining your families. Your son told me what you two think of our relationship, and I hope I have your approval of our wedding as well, just like I would hope my own relatives are supportive of it too."

Melia's mind began to clear after she took the transporter and walked up to her Villa. She opened the front door and went right into the bedroom, wanting to get ready as fast as possible and be back with Shulk.

Melia picked an outfit from the closet and stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower. She didn't hear any noise at the door after she finished, so she got started on her hair and makeup while she waited for everyone to arrive.

After a short while had passed, Melia could hear a knock at the front door. She went to answer it and was met with a big hug from Denise as she jumped ahead of the group.

"Melia! We heard that Shulk is finally awake! We're so happy for you!~" Denise exclaimed.

The others all started to laugh over Denise's enthusiasm.

"Energetic as always, aren't you?" Dunban teased.

Melia returned the hug, "Still, I appreciate the gesture. Thank you, Denise, that's really sweet of you."

The two girls let each other go and Melia looked back up at the group with a cheerful smile.

Sharla returned the smile seeing that Melia was back to her old self, "Anyways, what did you want to meet with us here for, Melia?"

"I was going back to the hospital to see Shulk soon. I wanted to know if you were all interested in coming with me to visit him." Melia offered.

"Of course we'll go with you, Melia." Fiora answered.

Melia nodded, "Alright, I just need to do a few more things and I'll be ready."

Sharla put on a teasing smirk, "Aww, trying to look good for your hubby? I'll help you, Melia."

Melia stood out of the doorway for everyone to come in. They all waited in the living room while her and Sharla went into the bedroom.

Melia sat down at her desk to finish her makeup while Sharla took over on styling her hair. She noticed that Sharla was rather quiet most of the time and glanced at her through the mirror, seeing a frown and a distant stare.

"Is everything okay, Sharla?" Melia spoke up.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, everything is fine. It's just… Reyn has been acting different, and I can't shake the feeling why. He's not his usual goofy self lately, and either acts all serious or zones out into space." Sharla suddenly paused, "Oh, I'm sorry for just unloading all of my problems at you like that. I'm sure you have plenty of things to keep you busy as it is and don't need me adding on to it."

"No, it's okay. Other than Shulk's recovery and day-to-day things, there hasn't been much else taking up my time. We haven't even talked about our wedding arrangements, or when we're going to have it for that matter." Melia assured her, "I haven't noticed anything unusual about Reyn, but I'll try to help in any way that I can."

Sharla smiled and went back to curling Melia's hair, "I appreciate it."

After they finished, the girls went back into the living room and grabbed the others.

"Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Are we ready to go?" Melia asked.

"Don't worry about it. We're all set." Reyn answered and got off the couch.

Melia glanced at Reyn and the changes in him felt more apparent now that Sharla brought it up. He looked so deep in his thoughts and she also caught him staring at her ring, but she chose to keep quiet about it for now.

They all left the Villa and went to the hospital. Shulk woke from his nap not too long ago and greeted everyone as they walked in, but Melia suddenly felt entranced at the sight of her fiancé. She was profusely blushing and had this dream-like stare as the captain's words kept echoing in her mind, especially him jokingly calling her 'Mrs.'.

Melia stepped ahead of the others and Shulk smiled as she crawled into his bed.

"Welcome back. You didn't miss mu-"

Shulk was suddenly cut off and let out a surprised noise as Melia passionately kissed him. He ignored the fact that everyone else was watching and pulled her closer as he returned the kiss, seeing sparkles in her eyes after they broke it.

Melia laid down next to Shulk and nuzzled against his shoulder, "Hi, Boo~ Did you get any rest while I was gone?"

Shulk lifted his arm and wrapped it over Melia as she snuggled closer.

"A little, but what's gotten into you since you left, Angel? You're certainly acting more affectionate than usual." Shulk commented.

Before Melia could answer, a female staff member entered the room with a clipboard in hand.

"Mr. Antiqua?" She asked.

Shulk turned just as red as Melia and looked down at her. He suddenly remembered the ring on his hand as it glimmered in the corner of his eye, and he also got an answer to his earlier question as he caught that dreamy smile reappearing on Melia's face.

Shulk snapped out of his daze and looked back at the girl, "Yes, that's me. Sorry, the name change is still new, so I'm not exactly used to it yet."

"Oh, my apologies. I was just going off what I seen on your paperwork, it had your status marked as married." She started.

"Well, soon to be. It's alright though, I've got to get used to it eventually, right?" Shulk joked.

The girl softly laughed and handed Shulk the clipboard as she came over, "Well, congratulations to the both of you. I'm Carla, and I was your Case Manager for your operation. Dr. Nagoya authorized to have you discharged, and I brought everything for you to sign so we can get you ready to leave."

Melia faintly squealed and hugged Shulk so tightly that it made him drop the pen and clipboard into his lap.

"Melia!" Shulk playfully cried and tried to keep himself from getting knocked over.

"Sounds like someone is eager to have you back home." Carla smiled.

Shulk laughed over Melia stubbornly refusing to let him go. He kissed the top of her head and reached for the things he dropped as he tried to work around her.

"Is there anything Shulk will need to do after he's discharged?" Sharla asked while he was signing everything.

"We'll be sending him home with some medications and schedule a few more appointments to check up on him. Other than that, we'll want him to take everything easy for a bit and keep his health maintained. It's all the basic stuff, really: Eating healthy, staying active as best he can, avoiding smoking and drinking for a while, etcetera." Carla explained.

Shulk turned his attention away from what he was signing and glanced down at Melia, seeing that she was staring back at him with a concerned look on her face.

Shulk gave Melia a hug and leaned closer to her ear, "I know, Angel, I heard her. It was just that one cigar and nothing more. You can even hold onto the case if that'll help you feel better."

"Okay, Boo." Melia said quietly and hugged him back.

Shulk let her go and finished signing everything before handing the clipboard back to Carla.

"Alright, we're just going to process all of this and get your medication ready, then you should be good to go. Congratulations again on the engagement, you two." Carla said and left the room.

Shulk smiled and pulled Melia into another hug, "I finally get to be back home with you~"

Melia's worries started to melt away at the thought of having him home and she smiled as she nuzzled against him.

"I know we've already been here for a while, but if you two don't mind, we could stay in Alcamoth for a few more days and help Shulk get situated." Sharla suggested.

"Already acting like a doctor, huh Sharla?" Denise joked.

"I've got less than a year until I graduate and can start looking at medical schools, may as well get into the routine early. Besides, I've been taking care of these guys for the past few years, I practically _am_ their doctor." Sharla replied with a small smile.

Shulk looked down at Melia, "What do you think, Angel?"

"Of course you all can stay." Melia answered.

"And here I thought you two were starting to get sick of us." Sharla joked, "It'll only be for a few more days. I'm sure you both would want some time to yourselves after all of this."

"Well, yeah…" Shulk paused for a moment and took Melia's hand, "But I think we'll be okay for a bit longer. I mean, we've got nothing but time now because of this surgery."

Melia smiled warmly and locked their fingers together as they shared a tender kiss.

Sharla smiled along and rested her head on Reyn's shoulder, but when she looked up at him, his distant and serious look was back in full effect.

* * *

Three days later, Shulk was settling back in with Melia at their Villa. It was around mid-afternoon, and he was resting in bed while everyone else was up, but he didn't feel like he could go back to sleep. He got up and started walking down the hall to see what the others were doing, and he saw Reyn walking up to him before he could make it into the living room.

Reyn threw his arm around Shulk's shoulder and grinned a bit too eagerly as he made him move in the opposite direction.

"Shulk! Just the guy I was looking to see! Think you could spare a minute for your old pal?" Reyn asked.

Shulk raised an eyebrow, "That depends. With how weird you're acting, you're making it sound like we might be getting into trouble like we used to."

"Nah, this ain't anything like that. Come on, we'll walk and talk." Reyn said.

Reyn turned Shulk back around and they walked into the living room. Fiora and Melia were nearby in the other room, while the rest of the group was lounging around.

"Yo, guys, me 'n Shulk are going out for a bit." Reyn announced.

"You're taking Shulk with you?" Melia overheard and hurried into the living room, "Boo, are you feeling okay to go anywhere? Do you want me to come with you?" She asked worriedly.

"It's okay, Melia. I feel fine-" Shulk paused and looked down, noticing she had an apron on.

"What's with this?" Shulk asked and playfully flicked at her apron.

"Oh, I was helping Fiora in the kitchen." Melia answered.

"Wait, what?" Shulk gawked.

Fiora came over and stood next to Melia, "Carla and the doctor told you to watch what you eat, Shulk. You can't just order junk food and call it a day anymore."

"And you seemed to like the food I made when I came to visit you, so… I thought I could cook for you more often, and I asked Fiora if she could further teach me before she left." Melia added shyly.

Shulk gawked back and forth between the two girls before he suddenly broke out laughing.

Melia only turned redder as he laughed, but then Shulk threw his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Melia. I'm not laughing at you, it's just the way you said it sounded so adorable!" Shulk assured her.

"So… you don't mind?" Melia asked nervously.

"Of course not, Angel. If Fiora is the one teaching you, I'm sure I'll love anything you make." Shulk answered.

Melia started to smile, but she was too embarrassed to show it and hid her face in Shulk's chest as she returned the hug.

"I guess it's true what they say, 'The way into a man's heart is through his stomach'." Reyn joked, "Whatever it is you two are making, throw in something spicy for me too!"

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you that Reyn likes his food spicy, Melia." Fiora spoke up, "We'll find something we can work with for you, Reyn."

Melia lifted her head from Shulk's chest and looked up at him, "If you want to wait until after we eat, then I can come with you, Boo."

"You're too protective of him, Melia." Reyn commented and rested an arm on Shulk's shoulder, "He'll be fine with me around, and I kinda wanted it to be just us guys for a bit, y'know? We haven't gotten a chance to hang out with just us in a while."

"Well, okay, if you're feeling well enough for that, Shulk." Melia said hesitantly.

Shulk gave her another reassuring hug, "I'll be okay, Melia. I've been feeling much better after a few days to rest."

"Okay, Boo." Melia gave in and gently broke out of the hug, "Did you remember to take your medicine before you leave?"

"Yes, mom." Shulk jokingly groaned and rolled his eyes.

Melia's wings perked up and she instantly started to blush. Everyone else could tell what she was thinking, while Shulk just looked around confused.

"Something I said?" Shulk asked.

Melia quickly snapped out of her daydreaming, "N-no, it's nothing, Shulk. You two can go on ahead if you're ready."

Reyn was faster to catch on to things than Shulk and started pushing him towards the front door.

"I'll have him back in a few hours." Reyn called out and shut the door behind them.

After the boys left, Melia followed Fiora back into the kitchen, but she was still too flustered to concentrate.

Fiora looked over at Melia and gave her a comforting smile, "Still thinking about what your oblivious fiancé said?"

Melia started to relax knowing it was just the two of them now and let out a sigh, "Yes. I know he was just trying to tease me, but… being called 'mom' someday, and picturing cooking for a family of our own…"

Melia turned bright red and felt too shy to keep talking about it, but Fiora had plenty enough to know where her mind was taking her.

Fiora softly placed her hand on Melia's shoulder, "One thing at a time, Melia. You guys still have a wedding to plan, and I'm going to need a bit more time to teach you if you're going to be making food for a whole family."

Melia nodded and tried to clear her head as they went back to making dinner.

* * *

Reyn and Shulk were joking back and forth and rambling about nothing in particular as they strolled through the city. They aimlessly passed through a few of Alcamoth's districts, but Reyn grew increasingly quieter and his facial expression turned more serious as they approached the commercial district.

Shulk noticed his friend's sudden mood change and glanced back at him, "Alright, Reyn, what's this all about? You still haven't explained why you wanted me to come with you."

"You know what? You're right." Reyn let out a sigh and tried to relax as best he could, "Alright, Shulk. You know I'm not the greatest when it comes to words, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. I've been watching how well you and Melia have been taking it lately after getting engaged, and… every time I see that nice ring you put on her hand, it gets me thinking that maybe it's time I settled down too and popped the question to Sharla."

"Wait… pop the question?" Shulk took a step back in surprise, "You mean you want to ask Sharla to m-"

Reyn suddenly covered Shulk's mouth and shushed him.

"Not so loud, ya spazz." Reyn joked, "I wanted this to be a surprise. You're my closest friend, so I wanted to keep this between me and you, and I asked for you to come with me because I could use some help in picking out a ring."

Shulk tried to compose himself after Reyn moved his hand away, "I-I mean… I don't know what to say, Reyn. I think that's great, but you shouldn't be rushing into something as serious as this just because you've seen how me and Melia have taken it after such a short time."

"Yeah, I know it isn't enough to go off of, but I'm not making this decision just from that. I'll admit, I've thought about it before, but it wasn't in much of a serious way back then. Now that some time has passed, and how me and Sharla stayed together through all of it…" Reyn paused for a moment and gave a determined stare back to his friend, "I'm serious about this now, Shulk. I've given it plenty of thought, and I'm thinking it's finally time that I asked her."

Shulk returned his look with an understanding nod, "Alright. If you're absolutely sure on this, then I'll help you out, Reyn. Come on, there's actually a place in the commercial district where I had mine and Melia's rings made."

Shulk took him to one of the jewelry stores in the commercial district and Reyn stopped for a moment before they went inside. He took a step back to see the entire building and felt a familiar pang as he read the name on the sign.

"Wait… this is that same jewelry store me and Dunban were checking out after the fighting was over!" Reyn exclaimed.

Shulk smirked and rested his hand on the door, "Small world, huh? Come on, I'll introduce you to the guy who helped me if he's working today."

The two stepped inside to see a male High Entia browsing over a catalogue of new jewelry they just added.

"Welcome, welcome! Please, take as long as you like to look around. My name is Cedric. If you find anything you like, then let me-" Cedric suddenly stopped his introduction as he lifted his head from the catalogue and seen Shulk. He hurried over and shook his hand, "Consort, good to see you again! What did our empress think of the ring?"

Shulk smiled and held up his ring hand, "She loved it."

"Wonderful, wonderful! So, what brings you in again, here to spoil her a little more?" Cedric asked.

Shulk chuckled a little at his enthusiasm, "No, I'm actually here for a different reason."

Shulk placed his hand on Reyn's shoulder, "This is Reyn. He's a lifelong friend of mine and he was shopping around for an engagement ring, so I brought him here."

Cedric shook Reyn's hand, "Well, any friend of the consort is a friend of mine. We just got some new merchandise in, so take your time looking through all of it, or I can also give you a few suggestions to get you started. We also do custom-made jewelry like the consort's ring, but you'll have to give us some time to make it, so it might not be the best option if you were looking to propose in the short future."

"I don't think that'll work, I'm only in town for a few more days." Reyn said.

"That's okay, I'm sure we can find something she'll like with what we have on the showroom floor. Since you're a friend of the consort, I'll throw in an extra percentage off on top of the referral discount." Cedric offered.

"Alright, that's perfect! We're going to look around for a bit on our own, then we'll come find you." Reyn said.

"Alright, sounds good. Just let me know when you're ready." Cedric said.

Cedric left them alone as Shulk and Reyn browsed around the store, glancing over several rows of display cases.

"This is great, I might not have to owe Dunban anything back!" Reyn said.

"Why would you owe anything to Dunban?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, guess I was thinking out loud. Dunban knows about this already and he offered to front me a bit of cash to help pay for the ring. At this rate, though, I might not have to rely on him." Reyn explained.

Shulk chuckled softly as he looked back into the display cases, "And Melia said my new title wouldn't come with many benefits. Did you have anything in mind to help you look, Reyn? Like a certain style, color, something like that?"

"Well, Sharla seems to like emerald." Reyn pondered out loud.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a few things that fit that description on this side." Cedric overheard them and pointed to the other end of the showroom.

Shulk and Reyn came over and checked out the display cases he was pointing to.

Reyn glanced through a few of the rings, then stopped as one came into view with a band that was twisted like wispy vines and had emerald accents.

"Hey, boss, could you take this one out for me?" Reyn called.

Cedric came over and opened the display case. He took out the one Reyn pointed to and turned the ring as he inspected it.

"Not a bad choice." Cedric commented.

"Anything you can tell us about it?" Shulk asked.

"Well, this is a Trellis-style ring, meaning it has four prongs that interweave and are shaped to hold up the centerpiece. The band itself is 18K White Gold, and as you can see, it has vine-like twists as it gets closer to the center. You mentioned emerald earlier, Reyn, and this one has emerald accents with a 0.60 carat, round diamond in the center. You have options with this ring as well to suit both your budget and your significant other's tastes: We can swap the band for a different metal, and we can also change the diamond if you wanted a specific cut or a different carat amount. Another plus side to those changes is that it won't take as long as a custom order, and it should be ready before you leave." Cedric explained.

"Actually, I'm thinking it looks great as is." Reyn said and leaned his arms onto the glass, "All the fancy descriptions aside, how much are we looking at this one costing?"

Cedric went to grab a small calculator and came back over, "Well, if we're adding in the tax and appropriate discounts, you're at… just under five-thousand G. To be more precise: Four-thousand, eight hundred and ninety-five."

Reyn whistled and stared into the glass underneath him, "On second thought, maybe I _will_ end up owing Dunban back."

"If this is out of your price range, we have plenty of-"

"No, no, that's not an issue." Reyn gently cut him off, "I can afford that, it's just a little more than I was expecting it to be. I'll still take it."

"Alright then. If there wasn't anything else you two were looking for, then I'll get you rung up and have you on your way." Cedric said.

"I've taken a big enough hit to my pockets for one day." Reyn joked.

"Fair enough. Well, let me be the first to congratulate you." Cedric said and shook Reyn's hand.

"Thanks. I just hope she likes it." Reyn said nervously.

"I'm sure she will." Cedric smiled.

After paying, Cedric handed Reyn a small box with the ring inside, "You're all set. Good luck, and nice meeting you."

"Yeah, you too." Reyn said back as he and Shulk left the store.

Shulk grinned as he seen a familiarly nervous look on Reyn's face while he tucked away the box into his pocket.

"I was like this before I asked Melia too, Reyn. Just relax, it's all in your head." Shulk assured him.

"If you say so." Reyn blankly said back as his thoughts traveled.

Shulk threw his arm around Reyn's shoulder as they walked along, "Come on, this isn't the Reyn I know. Tell you what, we'll find something to do around Alcamoth to clear your head before we go back to the Villa, and whatever we do, it's on me. You've spent plenty of cash today, and you look like you could use a minute to relax."

Reyn's friendly grin started to reappear at his offer, "Alright, let's do it."

After hanging out around the city for a while, they went back to the Villa and Sharla and Melia greeted them as they came through the front door.

"Welcome back, you two." Sharla smiled.

Melia walked up to Shulk and hugged him, "Was everything okay, Boo? What did you two end up doing?"

"Yeah, everything was fine, Melia. And we didn't do anything in particular, just hung out for a bit." Shulk said nonchalantly and returned the hug.

Reyn suddenly went up to Sharla and lifted her up, giving her a passionate kiss and carrying her like a princess back over to the living room.

"R-Reyn! What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Sharla cried and started to laugh.

"Nothing, I'm just happy to see you and I'm feeling a bit better now that I got some time to chill out. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" Reyn grinned.

Sharla smiled and nuzzled close as he carried her, "I guess not~"

Sharla looked over Reyn's shoulder and also gave a smile to Shulk.

 _Whatever you did to fix him, thank you, Shulk._

As the two left their sight, Melia started to grow suspicious and turned back to Shulk.

"Okay, Shulk, what happened?" Melia pressed.

Shulk grinned and held up his ring hand, "Here's a hint."

Melia was thrown off by his reply and stared puzzledly at the ring.

 _What are you trying to tell me, Shulk? What does your ring have to do with this? …Wait…_

"Shulk, you mean Reyn's planning to-"

Shulk covered Melia's mouth and shushed her like Reyn did to him earlier, "Shh, it's supposed to be a secret. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, but I figured you wouldn't let it slip if I told you."

Melia nodded as Shulk moved his hand away. She started to smile and gave him another hug, "After you proposed, I was wondering how long it would take for them to follow suit. Either way, I'm happy for them."

"Yeah, so am I." Shulk added and held her under his arm, "But remember, Angel, you need to keep it a secret."

"Okay, Boo. Did Reyn tell you when he was planning to ask her?" Melia asked.

"He never mentioned specifically when, but he did say he'd let me know before it happens." Shulk answered.

"A bit vague, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Melia said.

Shulk kissed Melia's forehead and pulled her into a tighter hug, "Seems so, but let's just focus on what's happening right now, Angel. Speaking of which, is food ready? I'm starving."

Melia laughed a little and untangled herself from his arms, "It's almost done, Shulk. How about you help me set the table while you wait? It should be finished by then."

"Alright." Shulk said and anticipatingly licked his lips, "Time to be a test rat again."

"Must you always refer to it like that?" Melia frowned.

"You know I'm just kidding, Angel. I'm sure it'll be good if you and Fiora made it." Shulk assured her, "I'll stop saying it if it'll make you feel better. Come on, let's go."

Melia nodded and took Shulk's hand as they went into the dining room. They finished setting the table just as Fiora started bringing everything out, and everyone gathered around the table to eat then called it a night.

* * *

Eight months had passed since Reyn and Sharla last visited Alcamoth, and both of them had seriously knuckled down in that allotted time: Sharla had graduated and received an acceptance letter for a medical school in Colony 6, while Reyn worked to the bone to scrape enough money for them to buy a house there before her schooling started.

The time had finally come for them to move, and Dunban and Fiora agreed to help them. Dunban borrowed a heavy vehicle from the military district, and he and his sister drove over to Reyn's soon-to-be-old house to load everything up.

With everything packed and the house now completely empty, Reyn decided to take one last stroll down memory lane. He smiled softly as he roamed through the house, reminiscing on all the good times he had growing up in the colony.

"You really don't realize how fast life moves until later on. I knew it couldn't last forever, but I'm still going to miss this place…" Reyn quietly said to himself.

Sharla was wondering where Reyn wandered off to and went back into the house. She found him staring blankly around their old bedroom and came over, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Everything all right, hun?" Sharla asked softly.

Reyn placed his hand over hers, "Yeah, everything's fine. I was just taking one last look around the place, that's all."

Sharla began to smile as she laid her head on Reyn's shoulder, "So many good memories here."

"Yeah, there was." Reyn added.

Sharla left a kiss on his shoulder and gave him another hug from behind, "We could always stop by and see this place again if we come to visit."

"Maybe we'll do that, but for now, let's just make the best out of whatever's ahead." Reyn replied with a hopeful smile.

"Okay, babe." Sharla smiled along and held out her hand, "Are you ready to go?"

Reyn nodded and the two held hands as they left the home.

Dunban was parked outside and waiting in the driver's seat while Fiora sat passenger-side. Reyn and Sharla hopped into the back of their makeshift moving truck and they all drove off towards Colony 6.

As the colony came into sight, they could see people gathered outside the gates and setting up attractions for the annual festival. They parked close to the gate and Juju and Otharon waved at them from the top of a nearby hill as they stepped out of the vehicle.

"Sharla, up here!" Juju called out, "We've got some new stuff we're adding for the festival, you've gotta see this!"

Fiora looked over at Sharla with a smile, "I'll go with you, Sharla. Come on, let's go see what they want."

"But what about all the stuff we need to move?" Sharla asked.

"Don't worry about that. Reyn and I can get started while you two are gone." Dunban assured her.

"Well, alright, if you're sure." Sharla replied hesitantly.

Fiora didn't give Sharla much time to reconsider and took her hand, pulling her along as they started trekking up the hill.

Dunban quickly turned to Reyn and handed him a duffle bag, "They can't keep her distracted for long, Reyn. Hurry up and get ready."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Reyn said.

Reyn took the bag from him and was rushing off to the colony gates, but Dunban suddenly called out to him.

"Reyn!" He yelled.

"Yeah?" Reyn called back.

Dunban let out a sigh and gave a soft smile, "I still think the way you're planning to do this is dumb, but it fits you perfectly. Good luck."

Reyn shot him back a smirk and disappeared behind the colony gates.

Fiora tried to keep Sharla distracted for as long as she could, and soon after, they headed back to the colony entrance, only to be met by Reyn stationed out front in his guard uniform.

"Hold it, hold it." Reyn said and blocked Sharla's path.

Sharla raised an eyebrow at him, "Reyn? What are you doing? And why are you in your old guard outfit?"

Reyn pointed at his badge, "That's officer to you. I was called in for a bag check, so I need to see your luggage and your ID before I can let you in."

"Are you serious, Reyn?" Sharla said back, beginning to sound irritated.

Reyn had to hide his grin as he tried to stay in character, "Ma'am, my job is to make sure everyone here is safe. You're new here and these people don't exactly know you. I'm only-"

"Fine! Here, you jackass!" Sharla cut him off sharply and threw her ID onto the table next to him.

Dunban and Fiora were watching the scene play out and they covered their mouths as they snickered.

Reyn took her ID and pointed it at them, "Oi, you two! If you think something's funny about this, I'll be more than happy to have you both checked out next!"

Fiora stopped herself from laughing and sarcastically played along, "Oh, we're so sorry, 'Officer'. We'll keep quiet from now on."

Reyn jokingly scoffed back and glanced at the ID, "Hm, they told me ahead of time that you were coming in, but they actually gave me the wrong last name. That's on them, though, so I'll let that slide. Let me see your bag now."

Sharla impatiently rolled her eyes and set the bag down on the table.

Reyn took his time searching through the bag to make it look dramatic, then he suddenly stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you pack this bag yourself, Ms. Sharla, or did you have someone help you?" Reyn asked.

"You already know Fiora helped me pack my stuff, Reyn." Sharla answered.

"Is that right? Well, would either of you care to explain what this is?" Reyn shot back as he pulled his hand out, revealing a small box and a folded note.

Sharla paused for a split second in shock, then covered her mouth and let out a gasp as she pieced together what might be inside the box. She tried to say something as she glanced back and forth from Reyn to Fiora, but nothing would come out when she tried, and the both of them would only grin at her as their gaze met.

"Staying silent, huh? Alright, I'll start with the note then."

Reyn unfolded the piece of paper and began to read it out loud.

"Sharla, I've thought over on how to say this to you so many times and could never find the right words for it, so I'm just going to come out with it in the way that I know best. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, and I wouldn't want to even begin thinking on where I'd be if we'd never met. I've had some of the happiest times of my life with you by my side, and I honestly still can't believe how far we've come after all this time. I know you almost never see me acting seriously, but I want you to know that I really am happy to be taking this next step, and it's because I have you alongside me. I love you, Sharla, and before we _truly_ start this next step, I have something that I wanted to ask you."

Sharla felt paralyzed and like she was on the verge of crying as Reyn lifted his head from the note. He then took the box and held it in his hand, giving Sharla that bright and playful smile she always loved to see as he got down on one knee.

"From here on, and wherever life ends up taking us, I want you to be there with me through all of it. Sharla, will you marry me?" Reyn then opened the box, revealing the engagement ring.

Tears streamed down Sharla's face and Reyn could hear her making a strange noise from behind her hand. At first it sounded like crying, then he realized what it actually was, she was laughing.

"Even after all this time, you're still that same goofball I've always known." Sharla wiped her tears and smiled brightly down at him, "Yes, Reyn, I will!"

Reyn stood up and embraced her, and as they shared a passionate kiss, hordes of colony residents emerged from behind and even on the top of the city's gates and cheered.

Reyn slid the ring over Sharla's finger and she pulled him into another tight hug.

"I love you so much, Reyn." Sharla said and hid her face in his chest, not even sure herself if she was about to cry again with joy.

Reyn smiled as he stroked her hair, "I love you too, Sharla."

Sharla had a sense that someone was walking towards them and she lifted her head back up. Her intuition was right and she seen a couple with wings on their heads were coming over. She could clearly tell one of them was Melia, but the blonde-haired boy that was beside her… even though she recognized his face, she could only stare dumbfoundedly at the sight of his wings.

"Melia, and… S-Shulk?!" Sharla blurted out.

Melia smiled warmly, "It's nice to see you after all this time too, Sharla."

Sharla wasn't trying to be rude, but she just couldn't bring herself to reply or take her eyes away from Melia's partner's set of head wings. They reached about halfway down his back and were aimed downward, giving his wings a look as if they were a mix between pure and non-pure High Entia.

"Sh-Shulk… you're…" Sharla stammered.

Shulk grinned and pointed up to his wings as they began flapping, "Pretty cool, aren't they? My co-workers told me that I'd possibly growing wings, and now they're at full size!"

"I-I don't know what to say… I mean…" Sharla was still in shock and couldn't make sense out of what was in front of her, let alone even a sentence.

"It must be something you have to see for a while to get acquainted with." Melia chuckled. She turned to Shulk and made him blush as her hand caressed one of his wings, "I think they look adorable, Boo~"

"Not as adorable as you though, Angel." Shulk mused.

The winged couple smiled at each other and looked back over to Reyn and Sharla. This was their moment, after all, and they didn't want to impede on it.

The commotion from the city slowly started to simmer down and the group all followed behind Reyn and Sharla to see their new home. After a tour around the house and listing off where they wanted to place everything, everyone pitched in and helped carry the boxes inside.

Melia was helping Sharla carry the lighter boxes into the master bedroom upstairs. They both stopped for a moment to take a break, and Melia caught Sharla helplessly smiling and staring at her ring like she used to do.

"Congratulations, Sharla. I'm happy for you." Melia said warmly.

"Thank you, Melia." Sharla said before glancing back down at her hand. However, her smile was starting to fade away and she looked nervous as she clasped her other hand over the ring.

"Hey, Melia, you and Shulk have been living together for a while now after your guys' engagement, right?" Sharla started.

"Yes, we have. Why do you ask?" Melia replied.

"It's just… I don't know why, but I feel a bit nervous about this. Reyn and I have already been living together, but it somehow feels different now that he proposed." Sharla explained.

Melia held Sharla's hand, "That's the beauty of it: It's like getting to know someone all over again. I didn't feel as nervous about Shulk moving in with me, but in that short time I've had away from him while he was in the hospital… I just couldn't call the Villa 'home' unless he was there."

"Melia…" Sharla started.

Before she could say anything to comfort her, Melia silenced her friend's worries by giving her a reassuring smile and gently squeezing her hand, "Maybe you just need to give it some time before you adjust, and it might help if you don't look at it as moving in with your fiancé, but instead with your closest friend."

Sharla looked at her in astonishment; Melia was more like the little sister in their dynamic, but here she was giving _her_ the mature piece of advice.

Sharla nodded, "Maybe you're right. Thank you, Melia, I'll try to look at it that way. Speaking of Shulk, have you two decided on when you're going to be having your wedding?"

"We were thinking of having it when Spring comes back around next year." Melia answered.

Only seconds later, Shulk appeared in the doorway with a big box in his hands.

"Where do you want this, Sharla?" He asked.

"Just set it against the wall over there, Shulk." Sharla pointed.

Shulk went to set the box down and felt a pair of arms wrap around his mid as he stood back up. He didn't even need to use his newly-acquired ether sense to tell who was behind him; He knew it was Melia, and he smiled as he placed his hand over hers.

"Hey, you~ What are you two doing just sitting around up here?" Shulk asked.

"Nothing, just talking while we were taking a break." Melia replied and nuzzled closer to him.

Sharla smiled and began to ponder as she watched them.

 _Maybe Melia has a point. Her and Shulk seem so comfortable around each other, possibly even more than they used to be since he proposed. I hope Reyn and I can be like that too once we give it some time._

Sharla suddenly broke out of her train of thought, "Oh, I just remembered what I wanted to ask you two! Are you guys going to be staying here for a bit? I'm sure you've already seen it, but the festival is starting up again soon, and it's gotten so big that they're even adding stuff outside of the colony!"

Shulk and Melia turned to face her.

"Oh, we didn't exactly plan for that…" Melia started.

"It's going to be starting pretty soon though, Melia, I think we'll be okay with what we brought until then. Besides, it could be fun!" Shulk said.

"Yeah, you two could relive your first date~" Sharla teased.

"O-our first…" Melia turned bright red as images replayed in her mind from the last time they went to the festival. She looked over at Shulk, seeing he was blushing just as much before he shyly looked away.

"Still the same innocent lovebirds from back then, I see." Sharla commented. She paused for a second and suddenly broke out laughing.

Sharla's laughing gave Shulk a distraction from his flustering and he looked over to her in confusion.

"What's so funny, Sharla?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I forgot about your wings." Sharla took a moment to calm down and stop laughing… as best she could, at least, "I guess calling you two 'lovebirds' is kind of literal now, isn't it?"

Shulk gave a small chuckle in return, "I guess it is."

Shulk then looked over to Melia and tried to play it off, giving her a smile as he took her hand.

"Melia, would you want to go with me?" He asked.

Melia started to relax as she looked into her fiancé's eyes. Her wings gave a subtle flap and she returned the smile, "I'd love to."

Shulk glanced back over at Sharla, "We should be done with this by the time the festival starts, right?"

"Yeah, we should have plenty of time. It's not starting until tomorrow night, so we can set up all the necessary things and end it at that, then get ready for the festival." Sharla replied.

"Alright." Shulk said and pressed his forehead to Melia's, "Then it's a date~"

"That it is~" Melia giggled.

Melia pulled Shulk closer and their wings began to flutter as they shared a tender kiss.

Shulk then broke the kiss, "I should get back to helping Reyn downstairs."

Shulk went to the doorway but took one more look back before he left. He blushed and his wings began to nervously flap as he glanced over to Melia, then he flusteredly hurried down the hall.

Even after Shulk left, Melia was still blushing as well and stared at the open doorway where she last seen him.

Sharla smirked and leaned against Melia as she put an arm around her shoulder, "Whatever happened to seeing them as your closest friend and not your fiancé?"

"Well… Shulk is both of those to me." Melia murmured shyly.

"Aww, how sweet~" Sharla teased, "Come on, Juliet. You'll see your Romeo in a bit, but we've got work to do until then."

Melia nodded and the two girls went back to work. They mostly stayed on the upper floor while Shulk and Reyn focused on the main level, but every now and then, Shulk and Melia's paths would cross and they'd blush as they gave each other a nervous smile.

Early evening soon came around and Sharla dusted off her hands, "Alright, that should be enough for today."

The group all let out an exhausted sigh and Melia walked over to Shulk, tiredly resting her head by his collar bone as she hugged him.

"I'm ready to just drop right here and go to sleep." Reyn commented and looked back at the others, "We appreciate the help, guys."

"We brought an inflatable mattress in case we couldn't get our sleeping arrangements set up, but since we don't have to worry about that now, you guys can decide who wants to use it and stay the night here." Sharla added.

"No, that's okay. Dunban and I were going to stay the night at the reconstruction HQ, like always." Fiora said.

"Shulk and I already rented a room at the inn here as well." Melia added.

"Alright, if you guys are sure." Sharla said, "If you're all up for it, we could meet here tomorrow and go to the festival in one big group."

"Actually, we might do that." Fiora spoke up.

"You and Dunban are staying for the festival too, Fiora?" Shulk asked.

"Of course. We're already here, so we may as well stay for the fun, right?" Fiora replied.

Shulk nodded to her, then everyone looked over to Sharla in agreement.

"Alright, sounds like we've got a plan." Sharla smiled, "We'll see you guys tomorrow, then. Good night, everyone, and thanks again for the help!"

Everyone else said their goodbyes and left for the places they would be staying for the night.

Shulk and Melia started getting ready for bed as soon as they got to their room. They took a shower together and changed into their pajamas, then Shulk fell right into bed, exhaling tiredly as his back sunk into the mattress.

"So comfortable~" Shulk said and moved over to his side of the bed.

"More comfortable than the inflatable mattress option?" Melia jokingly asked. She climbed into bed and snuggled next to Shulk, "I figured we should've given Reyn and Sharla some privacy anyways. They just got engaged, after all, I'm sure they would've wanted some time to themselves."

"I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, we had a pretty… 'interesting' night too after I proposed." Shulk murmured.

"That we did~" Melia suggestively giggled and traced her finger over Shulk's chest.

Melia lifted her head and gazed into Shulk's eyes before leaning in for a kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and gave Shulk a tight hug, "And just think, come next year, it'll be made official!"

Shulk smiled and held his ring hand up against hers, "Mr. and Mrs. Antiqua. I already love the way that sounds."

Melia couldn't stop smiling at the thought of it and locked their fingers together, "I do too, and I can't wait for that day to come. I love you, Shulk, with all my heart."

"I love you too, Melia." Shulk mused.

The two shared another tender kiss before Melia laid back down, still wearing that bright smile as she nuzzled close to him.

Shulk nested her under his arm, "Not much longer, Angel, but let's just relax and enjoy the time we have until then, okay?"

"Okay, Boo." Melia said, although she was still smiling as she pictured it in her head. She left a kiss on Shulk's chest and made herself comfortable, "Good night."

"Good night, Melia. Sweet dreams." Shulk said back.

The two then closed their eyes and soon went to sleep.

* * *

Time felt like it flew by with everyone anticipating the festival. With the next evening already upon them, Shulk and Melia packed a bag of clothes to change into and headed for Reyn and Sharla's house.

Sharla greeted them at the front door and let them in, but Shulk noticed something was off as he looked around the rooms.

"Where's Dunban and Fiora?" He asked.

"Dunban said he had to go somewhere before the festival and Fiora tagged along with him. He was acting a little strange and kept it vague when we tried to ask where he was going, but he promised that he would be back in time. He also mentioned not to wait for them and go on ahead, saying that they'll come find us shortly after the festival starts." Sharla explained.

"A bit weird, but alright, if he says so." Shulk said.

Sharla shrugged, "I guess we'll have to wait and see. Either way, we should start getting ready."

Sharla took Melia's hand, "Come on, Melia, we can get ready upstairs." She said and looked over to Shulk, "Reyn's getting ready in the other room. You two can do whatever you need to do down here."

Shulk nodded and went to find Reyn while the two girls scurried off upstairs. He noticed the bathroom light was on and the door was also opened, and he found Reyn in there checking himself out in the mirror.

Reyn waved, "Hey, hey! Good to see you two could still make it, Shulk."

"Yeah, Sharla just told us about Dunban and Fiora." Shulk commented.

Reyn took a gel bottle out from the drawer and began to style his hair, "Don't sweat it too much. He said he'd meet us during the festival, and you'd better believe I'm going to hold him up to those words if he doesn't show."

Shulk nodded and glanced down at the bag he brought with him.

Reyn looked at his friend through the mirror, "I'll be out of here in a minute, then you can wash up or do whatever you need."

Reyn quickly finished with his hair and exited the room. Shulk then went in and shut the door behind him to start getting ready.

Up on the second floor, Sharla took Melia into her room for them to get dressed. Sharla was stripping down without giving it a second thought, while Melia was a bit hesitant and still holding onto her bag.

Sharla looked over at Melia and raised an eyebrow, seeing her nervously standing around, "What's wrong, Melia? Aren't you going to get dressed?"

"W-well… it's just…" Melia turned flustered and tried not to stare, but her eyes would sometimes wander and she'd blush harder every time she looked at her friend. Even in just her bra and underwear, Melia could see every highlight of Sharla's body, and the little bit of clothing she had on really helped to show it off.

"You're still iffy about all of that?" Sharla came closer and made Melia blush more at the better view, "I mean, we've already seen each other's bodies before, and like I said back then, it's just us girls here."

Sharla teasingly flicked at Melia's shoulder strap and caught a glimpse of her bra as her dress hung lower.

"Ooh, what you have on underneath is really cute, Melia!~ Did you pick it because you thought Shulk would like it?~" Sharla teased.

"Sh-Sharla!" Melia cried and quickly fixed her dress, "Have your carnal desires seriously not been satisfied in the night we gave you and Reyn alone?!"

Sharla suddenly turned flustered, "W-what makes you think that we…"

Melia smirked seeing that she had the upper hand now and flashed her ring, "I'm speaking from experience~"

Sharla let out a sigh knowing she was beat and held up her hands in a playfully submissive way, "Alright, Melia, I'll back off~ But my point still stands: It's just us girls here, so you have nothing to be nervous about."

Melia nodded and started to relax as she set her bag down on the bed. She pulled her outfit from the bag and began to undress, but she paused and smirked again as she caught Sharla glancing on and off at her.

"Something wrong?~ I thought you said it was just us girls here?~" Melia teased.

"N-no, nothing's wrong, I just thought your underwear looked really cute is all." Sharla murmured.

"Aww, thank you, Sharla~ Yours really suit you too~" Melia purred and playfully pulled at the side of Sharla's thong.

"M-Melia!" Sharla cried. She batted Melia's hand away before it could travel any further and she backed up in surprise, "I get it, Melia, I went too far earlier. You've made your point."

Melia put on a dominant smirk as she giggled. The two girls then called a truce and went back to getting ready.

Back downstairs, Shulk and Reyn were already finished and sitting on the couch while they waited for their dates.

Reyn looked over and seen Shulk nervously twiddling his thumbs, "Oi, Shulk, what's wrong with you? You're picking up on your old habits, there."

Shulk's nervous twiddling only got worse now that there was attention being drawn to it, "I'm not really sure either."

"Just relax, will ya?" Before Reyn could say anything more, they both could hear footsteps against the stairs.

Sharla appeared from around the corner and sat in the open seat next to Reyn. She was wearing a long floral dress with a slit down the side and open-toed heels.

Reyn wrapped an arm over her shoulder and grinned as he looked her up and down, "Looking good, Sharla."

"Aww, thanks, babe~" Sharla said back and pecked Reyn's cheek.

"How come Melia's not with you?" Shulk asked.

"She said she needed another minute, and that I could go ahead of her." Sharla answered.

"Welp, looks like you got some time to pull yourself together, Shulk." Reyn commented.

"Wait, what?" Sharla spoke up.

Shulk didn't reply and shyly looked away, even feeling like he had to fight the urge to bite his nails.

"He's been acting all nervous about this." Reyn filled her in.

Shulk still wouldn't look at them, but Sharla glanced over and could see how red the visible half of his face was turning.

"Aww, that's so cute!~" Sharla teasingly cried, "But still, what's there to be nervous about, Shulk? I mean, you two have been together for years now, and you've even been on a date like this before."

"I-I don't know. I mean… it's just…" Shulk stammered.

Sharla giggled at how innocent he was acting and wrapped her arms around Reyn's neck as she nuzzled closer.

"Deep breaths, Shulk." Sharla said soothingly, "She's probably feeling the same way too, and I bet she's taking so long because she wants to make sure she looks good for you~"

Shulk wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort him or tease him with that comment, but either way, he took her advice and closed his eyes as he took a few deep breaths.

Just moments after Shulk started to relax, another pair of footsteps were heard coming down the staircase. His eyes flew open and he could feel his heart racing as the sounds came closer, but then his worries melted away almost instantly at the sight of his fiancé. She entered the room wearing a peach skater dress that Fiora gave her on her birthday, a short pair of heels, and she also wore her hair down.

Shulk got off the couch and walked up to her, seeing that Melia was just as nervous as he was.

"What do you think, Shulk?" Melia said shyly and looked away.

Shulk couldn't help but smile as her shyness only added on to how cute he thought she looked. He gently cupped her cheek and turned her head back to him, "You look just as beautiful as you did on our first date, Melia."

Just like Shulk, Melia's worries began to fade away after she seen his warm smile. She gave one back as she looked him up and down: He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a white shirt and shoes, and also his usual jacket to give his outfit a small touch of red.

"Thank you, Boo. You look good too." Melia said.

Shulk wrapped his arms around Melia's waist and pulled her closer. She blushed as she gazed into his eyes, then leaned in for a soft kiss.

"Those two little lovebirds." Sharla commented and playfully rolled her eyes as she and Reyn watched them.

"Yeah, seriously." Reyn jokingly added. He glanced over at Sharla and could see that look in her eyes, so he cupped her chin and turned her towards him, "Come here~"

After Reyn and Sharla shared a small kiss, Shulk and Melia came up to them.

"So, since Dunban and Fiora are gone for the time being, how about we just make it a double date?" Sharla suggested.

Melia started to blush again at just hearing the word 'date', then she felt Shulk's arm wrap around her shoulders.

"I don't mind that. What about you, Melia?" He asked.

Melia decided to follow Shulk's lead and gave him a smile as she nodded, "Okay then. Did we have anything in mind on what to do first?"

"Well, they were going to have a parade to kick off the start of the festival. We could head there first and see what that's all about." Sharla suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then let's get going!" Sharla sounded eager to go, and it definitely showed as she jumped off the couch and started pulling Reyn out the front door by his hand.

Shulk and Melia laughed as the two took off ahead of them. Just before they were about to go out the door and catch up, Shulk held out his arm next to Melia.

"My lady~" Shulk joked.

"Still using the same repertoire as last time, are we Shulk?" Melia teased and held onto his arm.

"I don't see you complaining." Shulk playfully shot back.

"I'm not~" Melia smiled and nuzzled against him, "At least you know how to do it without needing help now~"

"Well, that was mean." Shulk joked. He playfully tried to shake Melia off of him, but she would only grip on tighter and refused to let him go.

"Shulk, don't! You know I was just kidding!" Melia cried.

Shulk laughed and rested his head against hers, "I know, Angel. It's okay, I'm not letting go."

Melia looked up at Shulk and gave him a warm smile before their lips gently pressed together.

"Oi, you two! You guys coming or what?"

The two broke the kiss after they heard Reyn yelling for them, and Melia kept a hold on Shulk's arm as they went to catch up.

After the group met back up, they found some spots close to the edge of the sidewalk for a good view of the opening parade. Several themed floats began to pass by, and those that were marching in the street moved closer to Reyn and Sharla to congratulate them on their engagement before getting back into position.

Shulk and Reyn held their dates under their arms while they watched the parade, but something caught Reyn's eye on the other side of the street. He leaned over the bars that were blocking the street and stared wide eyed as he noticed three familiar faces.

"Wait… no way!" Reyn exclaimed.

Everyone else looked confused at his sudden outburst.

"What are you shouting for, Reyn?" Sharla asked.

Reyn pointed in front of him, "Wait for the floats to pass again, then look on the other end of the street."

They all followed Reyn's instructions and gawked after the pathway cleared. On the other end were Dunban and Fiora, with Denise standing in between them.

"That sly old bastard actually asked Denise out!" Reyn praised.

"I guess that explains where they went. Still, took him long enough." Sharla commented.

"Agreed. It was clear they liked each other from the start." Melia added, "I just hope that Fiora doesn't feel left out…"

"You mean like a third wheel? I don't think they'd do that to her, and it doesn't look like it from what I can see either." Sharla assured her.

Reyn and Shulk grinned at each other before Reyn looked back to the other end of the street with his hand cupped around his mouth.

"Yeah, atta boy Dunba-"

Sharla suddenly cut Reyn off and yanked him back by his shoulder, "Leave them alone, boys."

"At least give them the chance to see if anything unfurls from this." Melia added.

"Oh, come on, Melia, we're not _that_ mean." Shulk protested, "Besides, they did it to us once; Remember when we were by the lake?"

"That doesn't make it right to do it back to them, Shulk. Either way, that happened so long ago that it isn't even a valid reason anymore." Melia argued back.

Shulk could see that stern look about to appear on Melia's face. He decided to let it go and gave a submissive sigh before holding her tightly in his arms.

"Okay, Angel, we'll leave them alone." Shulk gave in.

"Thank you, Shulk." Melia said softly and returned the hug.

As the parade continued to go by, Shulk kept his word and mostly ignored them while he showered his fiancé with attention. Occasionally, however, the others would glance at the opposite end of the street to see if anything would transpire between Dunban and Denise, but nothing major seemed to happen.

The parade soon ended and people began to flood the city to kick off the festival. The group tried to get one last look across the street to see where Dunban, Denise, and Fiora went off to, but they were nowhere to be seen, and the swarms of people walking through their line of sight wasn't making it any easier.

"Seems like they went ahead of us." Reyn commented.

"Sure looks like it." Sharla added, "Well, we might run into them later on anyways, so let's just leave them alone for now and find something else to do. They opened a bunch of new stuff, both in and out of the colony, so we've got plenty of options."

The others nodded and began to aimlessly stroll through the festival attractions. During their walk, several game stands came into sight and Reyn looked back at the group.

"Anyone up for a few games?" Reyn grinned.

Shulk stepped up before anyone else could answer and returned the grin, "Alright. You're on, Reyn!"

Sharla and Melia both laughed and rolled their eyes at them.

"Everything's gotta be a competition between you two, doesn't it?" Sharla teased.

"All I'm hearing is that someone's scared they'll lose." Reyn shot back.

"Scared? Okay, I can't let that slide. You in too, Melia?" Sharla asked.

"I suppose." Melia said playfully.

"Alright!" Reyn grinned. He looked through all the game stands and found one for basketball, and it also had four open spots next to each other to shoot.

Reyn started walking ahead of everyone and made a gesture with his hand, "Come on, guys, this way!"

The rest followed behind him and they all took positions next to each other after they paid to play.

"Alright, go!" The stand owner said and hit the buzzer.

About halfway through the game, Shulk looked over everyone's scoreboard and noticed he was in third place, with Melia behind in fourth. He glanced to his side and watched her shoot a few baskets, seeing she was clearly struggling to make most of them.

"Here, Angel, let me help you." Shulk said. He walked behind her and helped fix her stance, and also the way she was holding onto the ball.

"Okay, now try shooting it." Shulk instructed.

Melia nodded and took another shot, and a faint dinging sound was heard as the ball went straight into the net.

"There you go! Good job, Angel!" Shulk praised.

"Thank you, Shulk." Melia turned to him with a cheerful smile, but it slowly started to fade away, "But aren't you worried that you'll lose now?"

"They were probably going to beat me anyways." Shulk assured her, "Besides, I'm more concerned about you having fun than some petty contest."

Melia's smile came back, but then they both suddenly jumped as the buzzer went off again. The game had ended and the scoreboard read that Shulk and Melia were tied for last place, Sharla in second, and ultimately, Reyn taking first.

"Like there was any doubts?" Reyn gloated and started to flex, "Come on, who's the champ?"

"Alright, Reyn, calm down." Sharla laughed and pulled his arms back down.

Sharla wrapped an arm around her boyfriend and looked back over to Shulk and Melia, "It was actually kind of sweet that you stopped to help her, Shulk."

Shulk didn't answer and shyly scratched at the back of his neck while Melia gave him a hug.

Reyn looked back and forth between them and suddenly had an idea, "Hey, how about another round, but two-on-two this time?"

"I don't think we can even do that, Reyn." Sharla pointed out.

Reyn turned to the stand owner, "You don't care, do ya?"

"So long as you're all paying, I don't see why not." He joked.

Reyn determinedly grinned back to Shulk and Melia, "Well? How 'bout it?"

Melia nervously clung onto Shulk, "I don't know, Shulk. We'll likely lose if I'm on your team."

"What did I tell you earlier, Angel? All I care about is if you're having fun." Shulk assured her.

"Well…" Melia sheepishly started.

Shulk cupped Melia's chin and lifted her head up, "Win or lose, I'm happy as long as I'm with you, Melia."

Melia began to blush as she gazed into her fiancé's eyes. She gave Shulk a small kiss and he could see a confident spark in her eyes after they broke it.

"Okay, Shulk." Melia answered.

They all paid for another round and stood next to each other in the two middle lanes. They formed a line and made two teams: Shulk and Melia on one side, Reyn and Sharla on the other, and they would alternate between their partners after each shot.

There was only a few seconds left before the buzzer would go off, and Shulk and Melia were only behind by one basket. Reyn knew his ball wasn't going to roll back in time for another shot, and he looked over at Shulk with a grin as he readied to throw his own.

"Aaand rejected!" Reyn jumped in Shulk's way and blocked his shot, and the buzzer went off just as Shulk's ball was smacked to the ground.

"Oh, come on! How is that fair, Reyn?! We could've tied if I made that!" Shulk complained.

"Alright, children, settle down." Sharla laughed.

"Who are you calling 'children'? You're only a few years older than us!" Shulk and Reyn both shot back.

"Alright, alright, I know how we can settle this." The stand owner spoke up, "They get _two_ free shots. If they make just one, then you guys will tie, but if they make both, then they win."

"Sounds good to me." Shulk said before anyone could interject.

Shulk went first and paused for a moment to concentrate. He then took his stance and threw the ball, making the first shot and tying the scores.

"Alright, that's one!" Shulk said and turned to his partner, "You're up next, Melia."

"M-me? I don't know if that's a good idea, Shulk. I might miss and compromise our chance to win." Melia said nervously.

"The rules still apply even if these are free shots. She has to be the one to go next." The stand owner clarified.

Shulk could see that Melia wasn't handling the pressure well and came up to her, "It's okay, Melia. We already made one, so the worst-case scenario is it'll be a tie. That's no big deal."

"But…" Melia sheepishly replied.

Shulk gently took Melia's hand and brought her up to the counter. He gave her the ball and stood behind her, leaning by her ear after he helped her get back into stance, "There's nothing to be so stressed about, Angel. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Win or lose, it doesn't matter as long as I'm with you."

"Okay, Boo." Melia said softly.

Melia tried to relax as best she could and readied herself. The feeling of being put under the spotlight made her hand slip as she shot the ball, but it still landed on target and started to bounce along the rim.

Everyone watched anxiously as the ball spun around the rim, then it slowly began to stop and fell over, landing into the basket and making the second shot they needed to win.

"I… I did it…" The realization began to set in and Melia smiled brightly, "We won!" She cheered.

Shulk had on a smile just as big and lifted Melia off the ground, "That's my girl! Good job, Angel!"

Melia held on to Shulk and laughed as he spun her around. She looked into his eyes after they stopped spinning and she started to blush, then gave him a tender kiss as he set her back down.

Shulk broke the kiss and glanced over Melia's shoulder. He was looking right at Reyn and gave him a smirk as he struck the same flexing pose he did earlier.

"Yeah, who's the champ _now_ , Reyn?" Shulk gloated.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. No one likes a show off, Shulk." Reyn pouted.

Shulk wasn't going to let Reyn off that easy and continued to gloat while Sharla came up to Melia's side.

"Those boys of ours." Sharla laughed.

"They're never going to grow up, are they?" Melia playfully added.

"Sure doesn't seem that way." Sharla smiled and wrapped her arm over Melia's shoulder, "Congrats, Melia."

"Thank you." Melia said as her victorious smile reappeared.

After checking out a few more attractions on the inside, they all decided to go outside the colony gates and see what else was new.

Near the gates on their way out, Reyn noticed they had a bar set up inside a tent. He stopped the group and pointed to the door of the tent.

"I'm gonna make a quick stop in here. You guys want anything while I'm at it?" He asked.

Shulk and Melia shook their heads while Sharla walked up to Reyn.

"More for us then. Come on, Reyn, let's go." Sharla said. As they were walking away, she turned her head back to Shulk and Melia, "We'll be right back, you two!"

They gave a small, understanding nod back as Reyn and Sharla hurried into the tent. They weren't kept waiting that long, but Shulk and Melia still gawked at them as their friends came back both holding a small bottle of liquor in their hands.

"Um, are you guys sure this is a good idea?" Shulk advised.

"There isn't exactly a law against public drinking here, Shulk." Sharla said nonchalantly and took a sip from her bottle.

"I'm not saying drinking is the problem, it's _what_ you're drinking; It looks a little strong." Shulk replied.

"Oh, don't worry about us. The bottles aren't that big, so we should be fine." Reyn commented and took a heavy swig, "We ain't gonna make you guys carry us home or anything like that."

"I don't think we'd even be able to carry you, Reyn. You might end up sleeping outside." Melia smirked.

"Real funny, Melia." Reyn rolled his eyes and took another drink, "Alright, enough standing around, let's go!"

With their little detour now out of the way, the group carried on past the colony gates. While they didn't walk that far outside the colony yet, there was definitely a noticeable shift in scenery compared to the inside, with thrill rides covering the area and echoing screams coming from them.

"Its just roller coasters and other rides as far as the eye can see." Shulk commented as they walked around.

"Yeah, everyone seemed to like the few rides we had from when the festival first started, and every year they kept asking if there was going to be more of them, so Juju and Otharon put more resources towards it." Sharla explained.

While Sharla was being frugal with how much she was drinking, Reyn was a different case altogether. He was close to finishing his own bottle already and felt a buzz from how fast he was drinking, and he staggered as he walked up to the front of the group.

"Speaking of Juju, check it out!" Reyn exclaimed and sloppily pointed to one of the nearby rides, "That's the roller coaster he was telling me about! You guys wanna go?"

"Are they even going to let you on with you acting like a belligerent drunk, Reyn?" Shulk chuckled.

"Oh, I get it, just because you've been hanging around Melia for a while, you suddenly think you know big words! Well, Mr. Dictionary, how about you tell me what _this_ means?" Reyn shot back and flipped him off.

"I thought I told you earlier to settle down, children." Sharla said in a playfully stern voice. She went up to Reyn and put her arm around him for support, "I'll go on it with you after we finish our drinks, Reyn. Shulk, Melia, what about you two?"

Shulk turned to Melia and felt his heart jump at the sight of her. She'd gone quiet ever since the rides came into their sight, but now with the mention of going on one, she had also turned pale and her pupils were dilating. It was a look Shulk was all too familiar with from his own experiences: It was the start of a panic attack.

Shulk gently took Melia's hand, "What's wrong, Angel? You don't like rides?"

Melia looked down and nervously shook her head.

Shulk pulled her into a comforting hug and could feel her trembling, "Hey, it's okay, Melia, you don't have to go on them if you don't want to. I'll stay here with you too, will that help you feel better?"

Melia nodded and took a few deep, shaky breaths while Shulk rubbed her back.

"Don't worry about it, Melia." Sharla said softly and came up to her, "Reyn and I will go by ourselves and come find you two in a bit, okay princess?"

"O-… okay." Melia quietly whimpered.

Sharla glanced back at Melia and gave her a soft look as she and Reyn went to find the line for the roller coaster. They were soon out of sight and Shulk cupped Melia's chin, gently lifting her head up and giving her a small kiss.

"It'll be all right, Melia. Come on, let's go find something else we can do while we wait for them." Shulk said.

Melia nodded and Shulk took her hand. Practically everything around them was more thrill rides, so Shulk guided her back inside the colony to get her away from the commotion of it all.

Melia began to relax and regained some color after they were back inside the colony, but she couldn't help feeling a little guilty as they walked around.

"Shulk… you're not upset with me, are you?" Melia asked.

"Upset? Why would you think that, Angel?" Shulk replied.

"You didn't get to go on any rides with Reyn and Sharla because of me…" Melia frowned.

Shulk wrapped his arm around Melia's shoulder and pulled her closer, "Don't worry about that, Melia. I'm actually not a fan of rides either."

"You're not?" Melia asked.

"No, I never really liked them." Shulk replied, "Even if I did, there's no way I'd just leave you there to go on some rides, Angel."

Shulk gave her a reassuring smile, and it only grew brighter as Melia looked up at him and gave one back. She reached up and kissed him, then gave him a hug as she felt her worries fading away.

Melia let go of him and the two held hands as they continued walking through the colony. Not that far along, they came across a place that struck a familiar chord for them: It was the spot by the lake where their first kiss was originally supposed to be, but due to things changing as time went on, the area was now repurposed into a small beach. They walked over to the railing just above the beach and Shulk couldn't help but frown at the sight.

"It's honestly a bit sad to see that they changed this…" Shulk said and sighed softly.

Melia knew how much Shulk cherished any of his good memories and she rested her hand on top of his as she glanced over at him, "It doesn't have to be perceived that way, Boo. It might not be the same as before, but that feeling of being a place that's for both families and couples is still here. Just look around and you'll see that for yourself."

Shulk was reluctant to accept it at first, but he realized that Melia might have had a point as he looked around the beach. Even for its small size, it had a romantic walkway through it that was dimly lit by torchlights, and there were also groups of parents relaxing in the sand while they let their kids play in the water.

"You might be right about that, Melia." Shulk quietly admitted.

They turned to face each other and Melia placed her hand on Shulk's chest, right over his heart.

"What's important is that the memory still lives on inside of you, Shulk." Melia said and leaned closer, "It may not have come to be back then, but how about we create a new memory, one where it actually happened?~"

Shulk smiled and rested his hand over Melia's, "I'd love that~"

As their gazes met, they could see glints of the moonlight in each other's eyes. Their eyes slowly began to close and they leaned in, but just before they were about to kiss…

"Mister? Mister! Is that you?!"

They both jumped and Shulk quickly turned around to see a young High Entia boy was behind him.

"It…" The boy started throwing his head around to get a better look at Shulk from every angle, "It really _is_ you!"

"U-um…" Shulk could only stare cluelessly as he tried to make sense out of what this kid was saying.

"O-oh, I get it. You probably don't recognize me because of how long it's been." The kid said and gave a friendly laugh, "I guess it doesn't help that I never introduced myself back then, does it? My name is Michael, and… do you remember helping a kid win a pink Bunniv for a girl?"

"A pink Bunniv…" Shulk suddenly gawked at him, "Wait, that was you?"

"Yeah, that was me…" Michael said nervously, "Oh, s-sorry if I interrupted. I seen you were with your girlfriend, but… I don't know, I just felt like I had to say something and properly thank you for what you did for me back then."

Melia started to warmly giggle as the events from back then came to mind, "Actually, I'm not his girlfriend, and I wasn't back then either."

"Wait, you're not?" Michael gawked.

"No, we're actually more than that." Melia started.

Shulk held up his hand for Michael to see the ring, "She's my wife-to-be now, and we weren't a couple until shortly after the festival, but that was still our first date."

"Really? That's so sweet! If that's the case, I'm actually a little envious over how long you two have been together." Michael commented.

Melia curiously raised an eyebrow, "What happened with the girl you gave the Bunniv to?"

"Oh, she's-"

"Michael!"

Before Michael could even turn around, a female Homs appeared behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I finally found you!~" The girl said.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to wander off, it's just that I seen some people I thought I recognized and wanted to make sure." Michael said and brushed his cheek against her.

The girl quickly untangled herself from Michael and stood presentably next to him, "Are these the two you're talking about?"

"Yeah, it's actually them! This is…" Michael suddenly froze, "Oh, wow, I can't believe I've never actually gotten your guys' names yet."

Shulk chuckled a little, "It's okay. I'm Shulk."

"And my name is Melia. It's a pleasure to meet you." Melia added.

"Wait… Melia?" Michael's entire expression began to change, "Is your last name 'Antiqua', by chance?"

"Yes, but there's no need for the formal-"

"A-a member of the royal family…" Michael quickly fixed his posture and bowed in front of Melia, "Forgive me for not recognizing you at first, empress. I've never actually seen you without that mask, and…"

Melia slightly lifted her hands in a reassuring way, "It's okay, most people haven't either until these last few years. I've stopped wearing it in Alcamoth since the Telethia invasion, but I'm guessing you don't live in the capital since you didn't recognize me. Is that correct?"

"Y-yes, empress. Please, forgive me." Michael said, still keeping his view aimed at the floor.

Melia walked up to him, "Please, lift your head."

Michael did what he was told and was met with a warm smile from Melia as he lifted his head back up.

"As I tried to explain earlier, there's no need for you to be formal around me. You met me before I had the ability to rise back to the throne, so you knew me as just Melia, not the empress, and you can keep it that way if it pleases you." Melia said.

"You mean… I can just call you Melia?" Michael asked.

"You can address me by whichever way you prefer." Melia repeated.

"Oh, okay." Michael tried to relax and looked over, suddenly realizing he hasn't introduced the girl who was with him yet. He put his hand on her shoulder and brought her forward, "Shulk, Melia, this is Holly. She's the person you helped me win the Bunniv for, and also my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Shulk said.

Holly started to feel nervous as she looked the couple over and bowed like her boyfriend did, "N-nice to meet you too."

Melia softly glanced at Holly, "Could you please lift your head?"

Holly did so, and just like with Michael, she was met with a warm smile on Melia's face.

"You've certainly grown since we last seen you. I guess that's due to the differences in our race's aging compared to Homs." Melia commented.

"Wait, we've met before?" Holly asked, looking confused.

"Well, it wasn't an actual meeting, but Shulk and I happened to see you two from afar during the last festival we attended. It was during the unveiling of the fireflies, and we could only decipher that it was you because of that stuffed animal you carried around." Melia explained.

"O-okay, well…" Holly's nervousness resurfaced and she instinctively bowed again, "It's a pleasure to meet you, empress."

"Holly…" Melia started.

"Y-yes, empress?" Holly asked and flung herself back up.

"You have the same decision as Michael: You can either refer to me as empress or simply by name." Melia said.

"I do? Alright, let me start over then." Holly started to relax and put on a more laid-back smile, "It's nice to meet you, Melia. I'm Holly."

"The feeling is mutual." Melia replied and returned the smile.

Holly looked over at her boyfriend, "Well, it was already an interesting night, but it's even more so now, huh Michael? I mean, you've met royalty and didn't even know it."

Holly then turned back to Shulk and Melia, "I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but you two are certainly different from how I expected a royal family to act."

"Well, I can understand why you'd think that about Melia; I didn't know about her lineage when we first met either, and she certainly acted proper back then, but I never would've guessed it was because she was a princess at the time before we went to Alcamoth." Shulk pointed out, "Me, on the other hand? I only have that title because of our relationship, if I'm being honest."

"You're nothing if not precise, are you Shulk?" Melia teased.

"It's a blessing and a curse, I guess." Shulk joked back.

Holly giggled at their ranting, but then suddenly paused and swung her bag from off her back. She unzipped the pouch and reached her hand inside.

"We won this earlier, but I want you to have it." Holly said as she dug through her backpack. Her hand resurfaced showing a small stuffed animal that resembled a baby Armu and she brought it up to Melia.

"As weird as this might sound, Michael giving me that Bunniv all that time ago was when I realized there could be a deep connection between us. We've become so much more since then, and to think that it all started after one night, and one small gift…" Holly started. She refocused before digressing any further and looked Melia in her eyes, "I actually still have that stuffed animal; Out of everything else he gave me, that Bunniv is still my favorite one because of what it symbolizes. Now that I know you're the ones who helped him win it, I feel like you should have this in return."

Melia's heart began to melt and she warmly glanced between Holly and the stuffed Armu as she thought back on her memories together with Shulk.

 _It's almost like looking in a mirror… Even though I didn't realize it was a date until later on, that first-festival night was when everything began to change between Shulk and I, just like these two. It's also apparent that Holly and I have something else in common as well, it's how deeply we cherish the things that are gifted from someone we love. It may sound superficial, but just holding that Dobercorgi Shulk gave me whenever I feel distraught helps to ease me if he's not around; It's like I always have a small piece of him with me._

Even though she was tempted to take it, Melia fell back on her old ways and humbly declined as she lowered Holly's arm, "That's very kind of you, but there's no need for you to feel obligated to do this."

"Alright then, how about I rephrase the question." Holly said and brought the stuffed animal back up to her, "I want _Melia_ to be the one to have it."

Melia was taken aback and looked perplexed at Holly's reply.

 _But… aren't I the one she's been talking to this entire time?_

While Melia was trying to piece it together, Shulk was laughing over Holly's stubbornness and placed an arm around his fiancé, "Come on, Angel, she really wants you to have it."

Melia looked up at Shulk and could feel a warmth rising in her chest as she started to figure out what Holly meant.

 _Is Holly trying to say that she sees two personas? Maybe it's due to all the time I've spent around Shulk and the others, but… have I really changed to the point that it's become noticeable?_

Melia silenced her drifting thoughts and gave Holly a nod as she took the stuffed animal, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Melia~" Holly smiled seeing that she finally got through to her, "It might not be much, but… I don't know, maybe you could pass it down to one of your future children?"

"F-future children?" Shulk gawked.

While Melia had thought about possibly having kids before, they never actually sat down and talked about it yet, and the idea came up as such a surprise to Shulk that he began to stammer.

Shulk gave up on trying to get anything coherent to come out of his mouth and looked over at Melia, seeing her holding the stuffed animal close to her heart with a certain smile he'd only seen a few times before. It was the same one she wore when they talked about living together, and also while they were escorting Teelan to the Ether Plant: A warm and optimistic smile, coupled with an aura that made it seem like she couldn't wait for what the future had planned.

Although Shulk was normally oblivious, seeing that smile on Melia's face was enough to pierce through his usual cluelessness. He could tell where her mind was taking her, but instead of bringing it up right now, he pulled his fiancé closer and smiled at the two teens.

"Thank you." Shulk told them.

"You're welcome~" Holly said and returned the smile.

Holly looked back to her boyfriend, "Maybe we should get going."

"Yeah, you might be right." Michael said and turned his attention to Shulk and Melia, "It was good to see you again, Shulk, and sorry again if we interrupted."

"Yeah, you too. And it's all right, don't worry about it." Shulk assured him.

The two were about to leave, but Michael paused for a moment, "Hey, you mentioned that your guys' wedding was coming up soon, right? When is it?"

"It was going to be when Spring starts again next year." Shulk answered.

"You two are more than welcome to visit Alcamoth for the ceremony, if you'd like." Melia added.

"You know what? Maybe we will." Michael said.

Holly gleefully squealed and hugged her boyfriend tightly, "We get to go to a wedding!~"

Shulk and Melia softly chuckled over how eager they were acting about it.

"We'll let you guys know about the details when it gets closer to that time." Shulk said.

"Alright. Well, see you then!" Michael replied.

Holly stayed wrapped under her boyfriend's arm and waved back as they walked away, "Bye, Shulk~ Bye, Melia~"

The couple waved back as they watched them go, then after they were gone, Melia suddenly pulled Shulk down to her level and surprised him with a deep kiss. With how much passion she put into it, Shulk started to think it was because Holly's comment about having children was still fresh in Melia's mind. He knew they would need to have a serious talk about it later on, but for now, he let the moment speak for itself as he pulled his fiancé closer and returned the kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and tightly hugged him, "I love you so much, Shulk~"

"I love you too, Melia~" Shulk mused.

After a few moments of blissful silence, Melia could hear a noise like Shulk was chuckling and looked up at him, "What is it, Boo?"

"I just remembered where we were. It's not that pier where we watched the fireflies anymore, but it's still the same spot, and we got interrupted in pretty much the same way _again_ now that I think about it." Shulk joked.

Shulk could see a frown forming on Melia's face, but he cupped her cheek and gave her a reassuring smile as they locked eyes.

"Hey, just like you told me earlier, it doesn't have to be perceived as a bad thing, Angel. Good things started to come after we were interrupted that first time, right? So maybe things are just repeating themselves and something good will happen again soon." Shulk said.

Melia nodded and rested her head against Shulk's chest, "Okay, Boo~"

The two shared a small kiss and then Shulk took her hand, "Come on, let's see what else there is to do."

Melia nodded and locked their fingers together as they started back up on their trek through the colony.

After walking for a bit longer, they found themselves back on the main street where the parade took place. One of the attractions towering in the distance caught Shulk's eye and he tried to focus on it, seeing that it was a spinning wheel with vibrant lights running along it.

Shulk pointed up to it, "Hey, I know you don't like rides, but what about a Ferris Wheel? Would you go on one of those, Melia?"

"I've never actually been on one…" Melia said as the size of it made her start to feel nervous again.

Shulk couldn't help but chuckle a little and took her hands, "They're not scary, Angel."

"Are you sure?" Melia asked hesitantly.

"They're not, I promise." Shulk assured her, "These are a bit different from the rides outside the colony, but they're definitely not scary, and I'll be sitting next to you the entire time too."

"Well, if you say so…" Melia paused for a second to think about it and regain her composure before ultimately giving him a nod, "Okay, Shulk, I trust you. Let's go."

Shulk smiled and held Melia's hand as they got in line, trying to keep her relaxed as they got closer to the front. When it was their turn to get on, Shulk made a subtle gesture with his hand as he paid the worker, signaling him to stop them at the top.

The worker glanced out of the corner of his eye at Shulk's date, seeing that nervous look on her face. He looked back at Shulk and gave him a nod, then the two went to find an open cart.

Melia stepped in first and set the stuffed Armu next to her as they took their seats. She sat close to Shulk and tried to relax, but then noises began erupting from the machinery and she latched tightly onto him as their cart gently rocked.

"It's okay, Melia, it's just starting up." Shulk assured her and patted her back.

Melia gave an understanding nod, but she still kept her grip on him, though Shulk didn't seem to mind and held her under his arm as the wheel began to turn.

As the Ferris Wheel spun, Melia began to relax and loosened her grip so she could look over the sides of their cart. The ride soon came to a stop and Melia's eyes lit up at the view, gazing in awe at the colony below them.

"See, Angel? You didn't have anything to be afraid of." Shulk smiled.

"I guess you were right, Boo." Melia admitted, "It all looks so beautiful from up here."

The colony felt like it gave off a bright and lively glow even from their bird's eye view, and Melia put on a smile that reflected it as she looked over the cart. She turned back to Shulk and her smile changed to a more teasing one.

"You're going to say it, aren't you?" Melia asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about~" Shulk smugly crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"Yes, you do. You were going to say how it doesn't compare to me like you always do, weren't you?~" Melia teased.

"I wouldn't keep saying it if it wasn't true, would I?" Shulk grinned.

The two began to blush and Shulk moved closer to her, gently caressing her cheek as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"But okay, if you insist~" Shulk teased back, "Even with all of this, you're still the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on, Melia~"

Melia softly giggled and pulled Shulk into a warm embrace.

"That's still the same thing, you just worded it differently." Melia joked.

"Hey, you gotta mix things up from time to time, right?" Shulk playfully shot back.

They both laughed and cuddled close as they looked below them. The colony felt so serene as the streetlights and stars above enveloped it in their light, but Melia's attention kept getting drawn to a green-tinted glow floating past her vision.

Melia tried to focus on this strange new light, then she suddenly gasped as she realized what was making it.

"Shulk, look! It's a firefly!" Melia exclaimed and pointed to it.

"Hey… it is!" Shulk said.

Shulk held out his hand and the firefly landed onto his finger. He slowly brought it closer and held it above their heads like a mistletoe as they gazed back into each other's eyes, blushing heavily as the firefly's light dimly flickered.

"I guess we've got a second chance to relive that moment by the lake, don't we?" Shulk smiled.

"It seems that we do~" Melia smiled back.

They both turned bright red as the nervousness they felt from back then came rushing back, but they weren't going to let this chance slip away, not after they promised themselves they wouldn't all that time ago if they could.

Melia made the first move and rested her hand over Shulk's as she came closer, stopping right before their lips touched.

"I love you, Shulk~" Melia mused.

"I love you too, Melia, more than anything~" Shulk said back.

They closed their eyes, and for that brief moment, everything felt perfect as their lips pressed together for a passionate kiss.


End file.
